Somewhere Tonight
by Chalicewell
Summary: Third in a series, starting with Night Moves and West of the Moon, continuing the same characters. Someone threatens the vampires but who is the real enemy? Lots of romance, drama and blood!
1. Chapter 1

_**Thanks to all who read my other stories. This is dedicated to the cadre of exceptional writers who keep Moonlight alive for those of us who are still addicted. **_

_**Here is a continuation of Night Moves and West of the Moon, with the same characters. Lots of romance, drama and blood!**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my love for Moonlight.**

Chapter 1

"Hold still, for goodness sake!" Simone fretted as she tried to pull Josef's bowtie into place. "You'd think after wearing those old-fashioned clothes hundreds of years ago you would be able to tie a tie."

"That's what I had a valet for." Josef grumbled. "You don't think anyone could dress by themselves in those days, do you?"

Simone finally completed the tie to her satisfaction and stepped away to admire the effect. "Well, I'm not a valet, but I think it looks good." Actually, in his tuxedo he looked good all over.

Josef grinned wolfishly and swept her up in his arms. "You're better than a valet, baby." He kissed her cheek carefully, mindful of Simone's hair and makeup. She'd already had to re-do her hair from an earlier passionate encounter and she scolded him that they'd be late.

Josef and Simone were hosting a party honoring Beth's one-year anniversary as a vampire. It had been several weeks since they had eliminated the threat to the blood supply stores and Beth and Guillermo had been busy opening the two donation centers with great fanfare. The student response had been good and they were now supplying the community with fresh, healthy blood. The students were well-compensated and the word was spreading on the campuses. Most of the blood went to the vampire community, but rare blood types were sent to hospitals to be used for human patients.

Simone suggested the party for Beth, and Josef thought it would be a good idea for one of his frequent social events for the tribe. He would be glad to announce that the blood supply problem had been solved and everything was back to normal.

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Beth waited downstairs on the sofa, sitting carefully so as not to wrinkle her dress. She'd been ready for Josef's party for 15 minutes, but Mick was still dithering upstairs. Getting up, she went to the kitchen to pour some more A+. She was a little tense about the party, knowing it was to celebrate her re-birthday. It was nice of Josef, and knew it was Simone's idea, but she didn't really want to be the center of attention. She'd done her online newscasts, but she never saw her audience. Tonight she would be the focus and she felt a little shy. Beth swept her hand down the silk of her black dress. It was a halter-top, falling around her curves to just above the knee. She had lost her California tan, but her skin still had a healthy glow, accentuated by her blond hair, which hung in loose curls around her face. Mick loved her hair down, so she obliged him whenever she could.

Finally, she heard stirrings upstairs and Mick came down the open staircase in his tuxedo and her chest contracted at how handsome he was with his long hair brushed back. For a moment time stopped for each of them as he looked at her, smiling. He took her hand and placed a small box in it.

"Happy anniversary, Beth." He said giving her a soft kiss. "You've made the last year the best I can remember." Even though her turning was traumatic he was glad she was with him, saving him from his perpetual hell.

She glanced at the box in her hand. "What's this?"

He cupped her face and gave her a soft kiss. "It's one of your birthday presents. Go ahead, open it."

Beth loved presents and this one was beautifully wrapped. She carefully worked the paper lose and the box revealed a pendant shaped like a stylized cross, a twin of the one Mick always wore. "Mick, this is like yours." She exclaimed.

"I wanted you to have something that's important to me."

"I always thought it must be. Where did you get yours?" She asked, somewhat afraid of the answer.

"During the war, when I was in France." He held the emblem in his fingers. "We were hiding in a cellar in a small village. Some of the locals were there and one of the children had a wound on her arm. I bandaged it up and gave the mother some medicine, as much as I could spare. She gave me the cross. It was pretty beat up but I kept it and brought it back with me. After I was turned, I was packing away my old things and I found it. I had it repaired and reset in white gold with a platinum chain." He shrugged. "I guess I it reminds me of who I used to be and I wanted you to have that part of me."

Beth's eyes were misty. "Mick, you're still that person, the one who would help an injured child or find a kidnapped one. Thank you for telling me. It means so much and I love it." She gave him a small smile. "I never asked you about the necklace because I thought it was something from Coraline."

Mick made a grimace of disgust. "I'd never keep anything of hers."

"Good." She put the box carefully on the coffee table. "I can't wear it with this dress, but I will tomorrow." Then she snaked her arms around his neck, drawing him close. Mick pulled her to him, feeling her melt against him. His mind clouded with lust and he started to nibble on her earlobe.

Beth smirked. "Did you say you had another present for me?" She backed away from him a little.

Mick laughed and nipped her lower lip. "Yes I did, you greedy minx." He was pleased to see her excited, her azure eyes glowing. "I should make you work for it, though." he said, crossing his arms and trying to look severe.

Beth ran her fingers down his cheek, "How about if I promise you a good workout later. I guarantee you'll be happy with your reward."

Mick's fangs showed as he gave her a predatory grin. "I'm sure I will be."

"So, do I get my other present?" Beth was not to be deterred and watched as Mick pulled out an envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. She opened it to discover two tickets and read them eagerly. "Mick," she breathed. "These are for Wicked, on Broadway. We're going to New York?" He nodded, and she squealed, bouncing on her heels, her hair flying as she jumped on him. "When are we going?"

Mick chuckled, "Next week. Josef is letting us use the jet and I have a hotel lined up. We can see some other shows and do the museums or whatever you want." He was glad she was excited about the trip. He'd promised her they would go back and have a real vacation.

"Oh, Mick, it will be so much fun!" She let go of him, making sure she hadn't mussed his tuxedo—much. "Let's get to Josef's. I want to talk to Simone; we have some shopping to do before the trip."

Mick rolled his eyes in mock defeat. "Just no more shoes, okay?" Her shoes overflowed into his closet and he teased her about it often.

"Oh, please. You know—if the shoe fits, buy it." Beth smirked. "You can never have too many Naughty Monkeys."

After a cool evening ride in the open Benz, Mick and Beth were escorted into the mansion's plush library by Hale.

"Mr. Josef and Miss Simone will be here in a moment." Hale intoned. "And may I take this opportunity to wish you felicitations on your re-birthday, Ms. Turner."

If Beth could have blushed, she would have at the imperious majordomo's comment. "Thank you, Hale." The manservant withdrew and Beth gave Mick an embarrassed smile. "I know it's supposed to be my party, but I hope Josef doesn't go overboard."

Mick took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We can ask him not to make a big deal."

The door opened and Simone came through, followed by Josef. Simone looked elegant in a strapless silver dress, accented by her sapphire jewelry.

"Beth!" Simone came over to her. "You look beautiful tonight. Happy birthday."

Josef also came over and kissed her hand, not even bothering to glance at Mick. "You are a vision, Beth." he leered up at her over her hand.

Simone snorted, and cuffed him on the shoulder. "Down boy."

Josef grinned, unashamed. "What can I do when there are two gorgeous women in the same room?" He looked at Mick for confirmation as Mick made his way to the bar.

"C'mon, Josef. Quit flirting with Beth and break out the single malt." Mick could tell Josef was in a good mood. Too bad they had the party tonight, Mick would have loved to play some eight ball and take his friend down a notch.

Josef joined Mick at the bar and poured drinks for all of them. He raised his glass to Beth, "Happy birthday to a lovely member of the tribe."

"Thank you." Beth said. "Um, Josef, I appreciate all you're doing, but could you not make it a big deal at the party?"

Josef shook his head and Simone said, "Of course, if that's what you want, Beth." She gave Josef a warning look.

"Thanks," Beth replied, relieved. "I just want to enjoy the party." She turned to Simone. "You know Mick and I are going to New York next week?"

Simone smiled. "Yes, I heard. What are you going to do there?" The women moved away to talk and Mick poured another drink.

"You sure you can afford Beth and New York shopping?" Josef asked with a smirk.

Mick sipped his scotch and looked at Beth fondly. "Whatever she wants, I can afford it. I promised her a trip and the last couple of times we were there it wasn't exactly fun."

Josef's recollections of Sarah and the attempted assassination surfaced and his shoulders slumped a little. Mick saw this and said, "Thanks for the use of the jet. It's much more comfortable than flying commercial."

"Sure, no problem, buddy." Josef pulled himself from his memories. "Why don't you and Beth head into the ballroom. Simone and I have to do the meet and greet thing."

The group made their way out of the room, with Josef and Simone going to the door to welcome the guests. Mick and Beth entered the ballroom which had been festively decorated and was chilled to accommodate the vampires.

Tonight there was a pianist to play first then a band later for dancing. Mick and Beth looked around and to see if anyone they knew had arrived. Beth spotted the female freshies by the warmer clothing they wore against the chill. The refreshment tables against the wall had food as well as blood for the vampires. She was pleased she no longer felt uncomfortable around humans. It was second nature to block out their heartbeats and scent of blood. Mick put his arm around Beth's waist as they wandered around the room.

"Mr. St. John." A male voice interrupted them. They turned to see Gerald Stofsky greeting them with a smile.

"Gerald, how good to see you." Beth responded before Mick could frown. He had been dismissive of the geeky vampire so Beth was being polite for them both. She noted that Gerald seemed different, more assured and there was an elegant brunette vampire at his side.

"I'd like to wish you happy returns on your anniversary day." Gerald said smoothly. "May I introduce Sonora Vargas?"

The introductions were made and Mick even smiled at Sonora.

"We haven't seen you for a while, Gerald. Are you still at the lab?" Beth asked to make conversation.

"No, we just got back from Japan." He glanced at his companion. We were working on the reactor accident, doing clean up and repair. There were quite a few vamps from all over the world. That's where Sonora and I met."

Sonora continued, "I'm on sabbatical from teaching at MIT. After Japan, Gerry wanted me to see his lab. He's trying to convince me to leave academia and work in the private sector." She smiled at the rocket scientist.

Beth could feel Mick's amusement at Gerald Stofsky having a girlfriend, and quickly said. "That's wonderful. Maybe we could get together while you're in town."

Gerald nodded. "So nice to meet you both." Sonora said and Mick and Beth moved away. Beth squeezed his hand. "Be nice, Mick." She warned.

Mick snorted and looked at her with a grin. "Yes, dear." He couldn't wait to tell Josef about Stofsky. Beth knew what he was thinking. _Men are such gossips. _

They headed for the refreshment table, and got some scotch. The ballroom was filling up, and Beth noticed that Mick drew the eyes of all the ladies, human and vampire. She wasn't going to let any of them get too close after what happened with Natalya. "Dance with me, Mick." She asked huskily, and they moved to the dance floor.

At the other end of the room, Ben Talbot surveyed the partygoers and was surprised that he knew more than a few faces. He'd been to Josef's last party, but had just found out about vampires so he wasn't paying much attention. Now, several months later he was more comfortable spending time with them. It also helped that he and Megan were on a solid footing with their relationship. He knew he loved the enchanting vampire even though he didn't know where they might end up. She brought something to his life he had been missing and he'd changed. Instead of total focus on his profession he was now looking at other options. He knew he couldn't pursue a political career with Megan at his side as too many questions would be asked that could put her secret in jeopardy. He realized that he didn't really care about eventually being governor. Megan glanced at him from where she was talking with a couple of people and smiled. It was a secret smile, meant just for him. He felt his heart swell, knowing that what they had together.

Ben made his way toward her, taking her arm. She introduced him and he nodded his greeting. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to steal her away for a dance or two." The band had started to play and many people were dancing. Ben shifted her in his arms and she looked up at him. "Are you having a good time?" She asked softly.

He put his mouth to her ear. "I'm always good with you." He was rewarded with a dazzling smile and Megan nestled closer to his chest as they danced.

Guillermo watched Mick and Beth glide around the floor while he sipped his O-. He was glad everything was finally operating smoothly. The donation centers were open and he was enjoying running them. He liked working in the morgue but it was nice not being tied to an hourly job. Now he had businesses to run and was up for the challenge. He'd never be the mogul that Josef was, but he knew he could be successful. He finished his drink and saw Mick and Beth coming off the dance floor toward him.

"Hi, G." Mick said, shaking his hand. "How are you?" Mick hadn't seen Guillermo since the night they'd chased down and disposed of the renegade vampire that kidnapped Simone.

"Great," Guillermo replied. By consensus, that night wasn't mentioned in front of Beth. "Happy birthday, Beth." Guillermo gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. They had become closer while working on the donation centers and Beth was glad to have him as a friend.

"Thanks." Beth said. "I can't believe its' been a year already."

Guillermo and Beth started to chat about the donation centers, and Mick whispered to her that he'd be back in a few minutes. He went into Josef's library, relishing the tranquility. He didn't especially like crowds which was why he so rarely attended Josef's parties before he was with Beth. He wasn't surprised to see Josef enter quietly a few minutes later.

"Hey, not enjoying the bash?" Josef smirked, heading for the bar.

"It's great, but too many people sometimes." Mick responded, accepting a glass of ancient scotch from Josef.

"Yeah, but it's good to see everybody and do some networking. Keeps the community tight." Josef crooked his eyebrow. "So, you all set for New York? Did Sam fix you up?"

Mick nodded. He'd gone to Josef's goldsmith a few weeks before to have a custom engagement ring made for Beth.

"Gonna pop the question in the Big Apple?" Josef snarked. "Maybe we'll have a double wedding."

"I don't know." Mick admitted. He planned to propose to Beth in New York and he was a little anxious. They loved each other but she was fiercely independent and he wasn't sure if she wanted something traditional like marriage. He wasn't the poster-boy for marital bliss either and it had taken him a long time to want to marry again.

"C'mon Mick," Josef reassured him. "All women like the rings and the pomp of a wedding."

Mick ran his hand through his hair, suddenly uneasy. "I hope so. I don't want to push her, but I need to show her I'm willing to take the next step."

"Then, go for it buddy." Josef finished his drink. "Gotta get back and make sure the party's going well. I'll find blondie and tell her you're on your way."

Mick smiled to himself. He would have to make sure Beth did want to marry him and he would make sure she knew how he felt. He finished his drink and hurried to find her in the ballroom.

TBC

_**Just a start, but hope you enjoyed. Next, more party and we find someone who's pretty unhappy. Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks for all who have read this story, and for the reviews. I appreciate all the Moonlight fans out there. **_

Chapter 2

Late night drivers passing the lavish mansion on the hill could see the occupants were having an all-night party. Most of the rooms were lit and laughter emanated from the terraces and the gardens. Josef had been circulating and his guests were enjoying themselves. He was finally able to get Simone off to one side for a few minutes.

"Tired, babe?" He asked, running his hands over her bare arms.

"No, I'm fine but my feet are killing me." She indicated her high-heeled shoes and Josef shook his head.

"I never could understand why women put themselves through so much torture with shoes."

"Ha!" Simone snarked in passable imitation of Josef. "Because we want to look sexy for men. Sometimes I wonder if you're worth it."

"Don't worry doll, I'll show you later how much I'm worth." Josef chuckled, putting his arms around her waist and pressing her against the closest wall, kissing her senseless. She sighed into his mouth and ran her fingers along his scalp, drawing a moan from him. Their interlude was interrupted by Hale's _ahem_.

Josef reluctantly released Simone's lips, but still had his arm around her. "Yes?"

"Sorry, sir. I just wanted to let you know that the Senator, Judge Anderson well as Mr. Talbot and Ms. Donnelly are leaving if you wanted to say goodnight."

Sighing, Josef let go of Simone and straightened his tuxedo jacket. "I suppose I should go be the host." He held out his hand to Simone. "Come with me?"

Simone gave him a loving smile. "Of course."

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On an east-facing terrace, Sofia and Ewan watched the first shades of pink streak the sky indicating the coming dawn. Sofia had grown used to being up all night as had her boss, Ben Talbot. They had an understanding and covered for each other at the office so each could spend time with their respective vampires. Their work was done and no one noticed anything amiss.

Ewan had relaxed somewhat with the knowledge that Sofia loved him. He was totally enamored of her and hoped that one day she would want to be turned. He had so many years of loneliness; he didn't want to imagine how it would be without her. Sofia had thought about being turned but didn't want to discuss it until she was certain. In the meantime, she wanted him to meet her mother. Ewan was daunted at the prospect but had reluctantly agreed although he'd rather face a torch-bearing mob.

Sofia grasped Ewan's arm as they leaned on the stone balustrade. "It was a nice party." She commented.

"Yes, and you are the most beautiful one here." Ewan complimented, eyeing her deep purple velvet dress. Sofia's skin seemed to be lit from within and Ewan couldn't help but draw her to him, feeling her warmth. She rested her head against his shoulder and smiled against him in contentment.

Mick and Beth were still dancing as the crowds thinned out in the ballroom. With the unerring instinct of vampires, they could tell dawn was approaching. Beth had been pleased that Josef hadn't made a big deal of her re-birthday, just making a short announcement from the bandstand. Everyone smiled and clapped politely, a few offering personal congratulations before the dancing started again.

"Should we be going soon?" She asked Mick as they swayed to the music.

"Yes," he said in a low seductive tone that made her shiver and she moved closer to him. His scent was intoxicating and it took a moment for her to regain her composure. Beth was a little dazed as she searched around the room. "We should say goodbye to Josef … and Simone." She was having a hard time concentrating as Mick was caressing her neck.

"I'm sure they're busy somewhere else." He moved his arm around her waist. "Time to go, sweetheart. I want to give you the rest of your present."

She sensed his desire, answered by her own. "Let's go. We'll talk to them tomorrow."

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The alley behind the Toronto hotel was dark and cold as snow filtered down. The two men looked at the woman lying on the wet pavement with a stake in her heart. They pulled her into an unused doorway. Her eyes were closed and if the men didn't know better, she seemed to be dead.

"Hurry and kill her." One of the men said, rubbing his hands with cold even though he wore gloves.

The other man was going through her large purse. "Wait." He scowled, and then pulled his companion further down the alley, keeping his eye on the motionless woman. "She's got a ticket to New York for tomorrow." He whispered, knowing vampires had enhanced hearing. "We'll follow her and she'll lead us to more of the vampire filth. Here's her ID. Take down her name and information." He handed over the cards.

The first man made a note of the identification, then commented, "But she's seen us. We can't leave her here for anyone to find."

"We won't. She didn't see us." The second man rummaged in the purse again. "Look, here's her phone. She's sure to have someone nearby. We'll call them and tell them where she is and then follow her when she leaves town."

"I don't know. We can just take her head, put her in the trash dumpster and set her on fire. She'll be ash and there won't be any questions."

His companion shook his head in disgust. "Right. We've spent all this time in Toronto and she's the only vamp we've been able to get. She can lead us to more. We kill her and we're back to square one. You know the Chief is patient, but we gotta have results. Maybe she'll lead us to more vamps in New York."

Natalya Ivanovich couldn't hear the two humans as she lay paralyzed with a stake in her chest. How could she have been so foolish? She was walking back to her hotel after a pleasant evening with a handsome young man. Sated with blood, she didn't notice two humans following her. Why would she? She was a vampire and was invincible. Then one of the men pushed past, distracting her while the other drove the damnable stake into her. She went down like a log and they dragged her further into the darkness. She couldn't move and was frustrated that she couldn't see or hear them, but she would recognize their scent when she came across it again. If she lived, that is. Natalya knew they must be hunters, humans who hunted and killed vampires. She had run across them in Europe. She didn't think there were any on this continent. For the first time in many years, she was frightened.

The two humans continued their whispered conference. "Okay, let's get outta here before someone comes."

"Wait. I have a present for the bloodsucker." He pulled a small object from his pocket that looked like a hearing aid battery. He made a small nick in the lining of Natalya's Dior handbag and shoved it in. "It's a tracking device. Now where ever she goes, we'll be able to locate her."

"Wow." The other man said, impressed. "I didn't know we had any of those."

The first man said smugly. "The Chief thinks of everything." Now he grabbed the cell phone and scanned through the contact list. First to come up was someone named Hyde. The man sent a text: 'she's in the alley behind the hotel.' He threw the cell phone back into the bag and walked over to the woman on the ground and tossed it on her. He grabbed his cohort and they left quickly. There was much to be done before tomorrow.

Natalya heard the humans run away but still couldn't move. What would happen when someone found her? Many scenarios ran though her had, none of them good. Again she heard footsteps shuffling into the alley near her. She scented her companions, two of the latest young men to fawn over her. She always called them Jekyll and Hyde. They bent over her with concerned faces.

"What do we do?" Jekyll said panicked at the sight of the stake buried in Natalya.

Hyde was calmer by nature, and replied. "I heard about this from the girls at the last party." He confidently put his hand on the stake protruding from his vampire's chest and pulled it out with a squelching noise.

Natalya groaned and gasped as they helped her sit up. She smiled weakly at Hyde. "For once I'm glad you were gossiping with those freshies in California."

"Can you stand, mistress?" Jekyll asked. She nodded and they helped her up. She needed blood, but since she fed earlier it wasn't so urgent. "Get me back to the suite, please."

When they were safely in their hotel room, Natalya fed briefly and sent the young men away to eat dinner while she took a cold shower. She was thinking furiously. If these were hunters, she needed to get out of Toronto quickly. She also needed to tell Jean-Pierre Laval, the Elder of the city, then the North American Council in New York. She wrinkled her pert nose at the last thought. Once she had been freed from the stake at Josef Kostan's mansion, she was unceremoniously escorted to a private jet and told not to come back to LA again. She was outraged anyone would dare treat her like that. At least her two freshies were on the plane with her, and they had secured her luggage and belongings. However, she didn't want to go to New York and have to deal with the Council and Emmaline Martin. She asked instead to be flown to Toronto, where she had friends. After some back and forth with air traffic control and Josef Kostan's office, the change was made and she landed at Toronto Pearson Airport.

Natalya was a psychic vampire but her gifts didn't work for her personally. She never felt any danger in Toronto before she was attacked. She finished her shower and donned a lounging robe, picking up her cell phone. She had promised some friends she'd go to the New York fashion week with them. She didn't particularly want to go to New York, and had been on the verge of canceling. Now she was glad to be going. If the hunters had her targeted, she had to leave quickly. After all, she wasn't banned from New York, just dismissed as a consultant for the Council, all because she wanted that delicious Mick St. John.

With a sigh, Natalya dialed the private number for the Elder. "Oui, Pierre? It's Natalya. I have some disturbing news ….."

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The nondescript hotel in a modest part of Toronto was perfect for the vampire hunters, Rafe and Bobby. They were actually Americans who had been recruited by a mysterious European man to hunt vampires. They knew he was some kind of aristocrat whose family had been decimated by the vampire scum. Rafe and Bobby had done two tours in the U.S. Army, but neither had climbed high in rank. After the service they were unable to find work. A magazine ad searching for mercenaries brought them to the Chief and he had hired them, telling them about the evils of vampires. After getting over the shock of learning vampires existed, Rafe and Bobby were happy to be hired to hunt the bloodsucking vermin. The Chief provided them with new identities and expense accounts and told them to start in Toronto. The Chief had extensive knowledge about how vampires lived and how to track and kill them. He told Rafe and Bobby they needed to perfect their skills before they could go against the really old and dangerous vamps. Running into the female vampire was a stroke of good luck. They had been testing their infrared binoculars when they saw she didn't radiate any heat. They followed her and were able to stake her so now she could lead them to other vampires.

Their hotel room was littered with computers and other equipment. Rafe adjusted the tracer signal on his computer screen with Bobby avidly looking over his partner's shoulder.

"This should work great." Bobby commented enthusiastically. "We can overlay any city onto the tracker signal and we can see where she is." Now he turned to Rafe. "What did the Chief say?"

Rafe sat back with a grin. "He said we're doin' good and wants us to follow the bitch to New York. There are a lot more vamps there and he'll get us more help."

"What kind of help?" Bobby questioned.

"Some guys to work with us. We're going to need numbers if we want to take out more than one vampire at a time."

Bobby frowned. "Who's gonna be in charge? I don't want a bunch of wannabe mercs who haven't had any training messing things up."

Rafe nodded understandingly. "I talked to the Chief about that. These guys are legit. There's four of 'em and they've all been in combat. They're gonna be at the hotel when we check in. We're in command and we can consult the Chief about strategy. He says he knows where the vamps hang out in New York."

Bobby considered this silently for a moment. "Okay. Guess we'll see how these guys shake out when we get there."

"Right." Rafe got up and moved toward their suitcases. "We need to get packed up if we're gonna catch that plane tomorrow."

TBC

_**Looks like there might be a collision in New York. Can anyone guess who's behind the hunters? Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you all for reading, it makes my day! Here is the next chapter with a little more information~~~~**_

Chapter 3

"No, darling, I said I would be there but I'm going to be late. Ciao." Natalya drawled, hanging up the telephone. She was staying at a boutique hotel that catered to vampires in mid-town Manhattan. Her other vampire friends were also staying there to attend the fashion week. Two were from Rome and one had flown in from London. The four vampire women usually met a couple of times a year and thought fashion week would be fun.

Natalya told her friends of her close call in Toronto with the vampire hunters. They were suitably horrified, and told her she should come back to Europe with them after their vacation. Natalya wondered if she should just leave now.

While she didn't feel anything in Toronto, she had a bad premonition about New York. It was nothing specific, just a sense of dread that seemed to permeate the hotel. Natalya knew that many vampires stayed here, and maybe there was something threatening the clientele. Going out was becoming more frightening, even if she took Jekyll and Hyde. She shook her head. They were lovely boys, but they weren't bodyguards. Maybe it would be a good thing to look into. Surely there must be some vamps for hire in such a large city. Much as she hated to be indebted to the Council, she could ask them for a recommendation. She hadn't called the Council about the hunters in Toronto, that was the Elder's job. She was hesitant to ask the Council for anything, especially after how they treated her. Sighing, she prepared to meet her friends at one of the clubs.

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Taking over several rooms at an Embassy Suites in Newark, Rafe and Bobby surveyed their room. The mercenaries hired to help them had been arriving during the last few days and they were having a strategy meeting tonight. Three of the four had military experience; the fourth was an ex-cop. Rafe and Bobby found they all knew about vampires and had strong anti-vampire sentiments. The others agreed that Rafe and Bobby would be in charge of the team.

Bobby came into their room with some food for the meeting. "Do we have enough weapons?" Bobby asked, unpacking the bags.

Rafe nodded. "We will once we get the rest of the silver cartridges. Each of the guys has their own sidearm so we're good there. We have plenty of stakes and machetes. I sent away for some extra infrared night vision binoculars. They'll come in handy to let us know who the vamps are. I figure if we can spot them on the street it'll be easier to take them down."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, we can't just start shootin' all over the streets."

Rafe studied a paper on the desk with some notes. "We know where the bloodsucking bitch is staying, and the Chief says that's a vamp hotel. He gave me some more addresses of clubs and hotels."

"I can't believe the vamps just blend in with everyone else. And that people would let themselves be bitten." Bobby grimaced.

"That's why they're dangerous." Rafe responded. "C'mon, let's get this straight before the guys get here. I think we need to do recon on all these places and see what we find."

Rafe and Bobby bent over a detailed map of Manhattan, making note of certain addresses. A knock on the door told him the other men had arrived. It would be a good night for hunting.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mick and Beth arrived at LaGuardia and quickly found the limo that would take them to their vamp-friendly hotel on Lexington Avenue. The weather was much colder than Los Angeles and they both enjoyed having the roof open in the car as they wound through traffic. Beth was excited to see the sights and poured over one of the maps she brought.

The hotel was in mid-town, close to the sights and museums with an old-fashioned flare. Josef had made the arrangements with an old friend who owned the hotel. The bellboy brought their luggage into the suite and Beth was delighted at the luxury of the marble bathroom and the over-large tub. She marked that down for later to enjoy with Mick. There was a secure door in the bathroom that led to a small room that contained a double-wide freezer and a refrigerator as well as couple of chairs.

When they were alone, Beth exclaimed, "It's perfect, I love it!"

Mick smiled gently. "I'm glad, sweetheart. Josef said it would be great."

There was a knock on the door and Mick answered, seeing a young man in uniform. He carried a basket of flowers and bucket of champagne. "Compliments of Mr. Kostan, sir."

Mick let him in and he placed the ice bucket and flowers on the coffee table. He turned to Mick and said, "I'm Jeff and I'll be taking care of you during your stay. Mr. Kostan let the management know your dining preferences. The refrigerator has been stocked and will be replenished daily. Please let me know if you need anything further."

Mick slipped the man a bill and commented, "Thanks. We'll let you know if we need anything else."

The young man left, closing the door. Beth had been examining the hotel literature on the desk after plugging in her laptop. Not even vacation could separate her from her computer. "Mick," she said excitedly, "there are so many things we can do…."

"We have the theater tomorrow night, but the rest is up to us." Mick said with an indulgent smile. Beth turned to him, her eyes sparkling. "Well, we can—"

"First, we should feed, and then we can look at all the possibilities." Mick interrupted before she could find more activities than they had time for this trip.

Beth nodded, still excited as they found the hidden refrigerator and satisfied their cravings. She looked again at the elegantly appointed bathroom. "Hmmm." She said, leaning against Mick. "Since we've been traveling all day why don't you take me downstairs for a drink and I'll be glad to wash your back in the tub." She pointed to the huge jetted bathtub.

Mick smirked down at her. "Sounds like a plan. It would be good to look around the hotel and relax a bit." Mick already liked this holiday. He thought about it, and he hadn't really gone anywhere in many years, not including a few trips for his PI business. Josef used to try to get him to go to Tijuana to relax, but Mick was never comfortable enough to let loose. Now with Beth, he was ready to be normal. That's what she did for him and he would never take it for granted. He took her hand and they went downstairs exploring before ending up at the Irish pub in the lobby.

The next night they enjoyed the theater and took walks around the streets of the hotel. Beth couldn't get over how many people were out late at night and most of the stores were open. "I could get used to this." she commented. "This city is perfect for vamps, everything's open late."

The day after was spend at the Metropolitan Museum. There was too much to see in one day, but Beth appreciated the Impressionist paintings and Mick was fascinated by an exhibit of old musical instruments.

They decided to take a walk in Central Park before heading back to the hotel for refreshments. The air was brisk and the humans were hurrying out of the cold but Mick and Beth were savoring the chill night. As they rounded the corner near their hotel, Mick suddenly went on alert, sensing something was wrong. Beth reacted to Mick's change and started sniffing the air as she huddled closer to her sire.

"What is it?" Beth asked in an undertone. Mick was glancing around, trying not to be obvious.

"I don't know. Something's off." He had been a PI for over 30 years and his instincts were rarely wrong. "Let's get back into the hotel." They entered the lobby, and there were still quite a few people coming and going.

Mick made directly for the front desk, and to his relief the night manager was a vampire. The man looked up and smiled pleasantly. "Good evening, Mr. St. John." Mick's intense look brought the manager to attention. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Mick leaned over the desk, and said in the vampire undertone, "Have you noticed anything strange, or out of the ordinary tonight?"

The clerk looked puzzled. "No, sir. Except perhaps we have a full house of 'family members' staying with us right now. Is there something wrong?" He asked again.

"I don't know." Mick responded. "There might be."

The night manager looked alarmed. He knew St. John was a private investigator so didn't discount Mick's concern. "We have some prominent vamps staying with us right now. I don't want anything to disturb their stay."

Mick nodded. "I wish I could be more specific, but you should be careful."

During the conversation, Beth had been scanning the lobby for anything unusual and spotted two vampire women exit the elevators, chattering. She gasped and grabbed Mick's arm. "Mick, look."

The two women passed by quickly, but not before Mick recognized Natalya Ivanovich. He growled slightly, causing the night manager to be even more anxious. "That's Ms. Ivanovich."

Beth said quickly. "We know who she is. How long has she been here?"

"Several days. She's here for fashion week."

Mick watched the two vampires walk out of the hotel with narrowed eyes. He was still angry at what Natalya did to him, to_ them_. He'd almost lost his Beth because of that bitch and he'd had enough of manipulative women to last two lifetimes. He turned to Beth and saw she was also irate that Natalya was flitting around freely.

Mick turned to the night manager again. "I'm not sure if anything's really wrong, but if you've got a lot of us here, you don't want to take any chances."

"I agree, sir. I'll let our security team know to be on the alert."

"Thank you." Mick nodded and he took Beth's arm and led her to the elevators and rode silently to their floor. Once in the room, Mick sank down in the luxurious sofa with a sigh.

Beth noted his abstraction and said, "Do you think your feeling had anything to do with that Natalya bitch?"

Mick shook his head grimly. No, it wasn't her, although I'd like to finish what you started. It felt like we were being stalked."

"Don't worry; I think there are enough vamps in this hotel to handle most situations. Plus, the New York Cleaners are pretty good, too."

"I know, sweetheart." He looked at her with a small smile. "I don't want anything to ruin our trip." He was planning to propose tomorrow night and wanted it to be perfect. Mick pulled her down on his lap and she started to nip at his neck, drawing a little growl from him. "Hmmm. Before you get started and I can't stop, I have to call Josef."

Beth sat up. "Why?"

"I just want to tell him Natalya's here." He still looked angry.

She worked her way off his lap and bent over to kiss him lightly. She knew it would help him to talk to Josef, but still wanted to lighten the mood. "I'll be in the bathtub when you're ready." He gave her a sidelong glance of lust as she walked away from him, swaying her hips and smirking over her shoulder. Hopefully it would be a short phone call.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Up the block from the hotel, a large SUV sat parked on the street with a good view of the hotel entrance. Its windows were blacked-out, but that was common in the city. The tracking device planted in Natalya's handbag led them here and hopefully to more vampires. Bobby and Rafe and one of the other hunters sat watching the hotel entrance with infrared binoculars. "Look," Bobby said, "there are some right now." The three aimed their glasses at a clutch of people exiting a taxi and going into the hotel.

"Wow, we hit pay dirt with this place." The hunter commented from the back seat.

"Yeah, this is a good one. Now we need to be able to get them alone so we can take them out one by one."

"Why not just go in shooting silver?" The guy in the back said.

Rafe looked at him with impatience. "We can't just shoot up the place. There are humans in there, too, and the cops would be on us in a few minutes. Besides, we don't want anybody to find out that vampires exist."

"Why not? They would help us."

"No they wouldn't." Rafe said, rolling his eyes. "They'd panic and the vamps would get away. We have to keep civilians out of this." The Chief had explained it very clearly to Rafe that the vampires must be kept secret or it would interfere with the plan to exterminate them. Rafe was disappointed in the men sent to work with them. It was a good thing the Chief made him team leader or the whole operation would be compromised. The group went back to watching the hotel.

"So what's the plan?" The hunter in the back asked, a little hesitantly after he'd been chastised.

Bobby put down his binoculars and looked at Rafe, who replied, "We're gonna watch, isolate 'em, then take 'em down one by one. But first we need some extra equipment." Rafe snapped the binoculars into their case and said to bobby, "Let's get back to the rooms."

The black SUV pulled out smoothly and disappeared into the late night traffic.

TBC

_**It looks like Mick's plans for a fun trip might go bad. Will Beth get another go at Natalya? Next, what else could go wrong in New York? **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I really appreciate all of you who read and review. Thank you. Mick and Beth are still in NYC and don't worry, Mick will get to propose.**_

Chapter 4

Josef hung up his office phone wearily. He buzzed Deborah, his assistant. "Deb, could you find Simone and ask her to come to my office. I think she's with the research people."

"Yes, sir." Came the crisp reply.

He got up from behind his desk and looked out to the late afternoon skyline. The sun was low and sparkled off the buildings. Kostan Industries offices all had sun barrier/UV blocking windows for the vampires that worked during the day. Josef liked being able to look out at the sunshine even if he couldn't be outside. He embraced new technology and had a large research department. Even fifty years ago, he wouldn't have been able to stand so close to a sunlit window.

His musings were interrupted by Simone as she breezed into his office and he resumed his seat. "What's up, honey?" Sensing his mood, she made her way around his huge desk and leaned against it, facing him.

Josef sighed. "I just got a call from Mick that damned Russian bitch is in New York, staying at the same hotel."

"What?" Simone's eyebrows drew together in a ferocious frown. "She's got some nerve. What's she doing there?"

"Mick said she's there with friends and he didn't think she'd seen them."

"Are they going to stay in New York?"

"Yeah," Josef responded. "Mick was going to propose and—"

"Josef Kostan!" Simone almost shrieked, not caring about his sensitive hearing. "You didn't tell me!"

Josef rubbed his ear slightly and smirked. "And how fast would Beth have known if I did tell you?"

She glared and crossed her arms. "Really, Josef. I could have certainly kept that a secret. Not all women are gossips."

He knew when to pick his battles and this wasn't the time. He'd never let anyone else know that he'd back down from a woman, but now he held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, I'm sure you're right."

Simone huffed in agreement and moved from his desk to his lap. "Good save." she whispered in his ear. She squirmed a little and felt his answering hardness. "So," she asked, "What does Beth's ring look like?"

"I dunno." Josef shrugged, wondering how to get Simone out of her skirt and onto the desk. "I never saw it."

"Arrrhg." She squealed, jumping up. "You men have no idea what's important."

Josef had his arms around her in a second, nuzzling into her neck. "I certainly know what's important, doll. I have an hour before my next meeting." He pushed her toward the private room attached to his office that contained a freezer, refrigerator and bed. Simone knew about the room and allowed him to herd her toward the door. She shivered deliciously when he nipped her earlobe. "I suppose some relaxation is necessary during the work day." Then she moaned as Josef slid his hand under her blouse. _Oh yeah, really necessary, _Josef thought.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

After a cozy evening listening to jazz at a nice club, Mick had the taxi let them off near Central Park. "Let's take a walk." He suggested. It was close to midnight, but there were still people out and about. Beth loved to walk since they didn't get the opportunity in LA.

She noticed Mick seemed keyed up and nervous since they left the club. "Is anything wrong, Mick? Do you sense being watched like before?"

Mick shook himself, and smiled. "No, nothing like that. I'm fine. Let's go over there." He let Beth on a path through the trees. It was darker but with their vampire vision they had no problem seeing their way. Soon they came to a cleared area with seats around an old-fashioned carrousel. It was closed, of course, but Beth was enchanted. "Mick, look!" She walked over and climbed onto the platform. He followed as she examined the beautifully carved horses on the old structure. "There used to be a merry-go-round like this when we visited my grandmother." She remarked.

"I think this one is pretty old." He said as Beth moved in between the silent horses. They wandered for a few minutes taking in the artistic woodcarving and colors. Then Mick moved up behind her, picking her up by the waist and sitting her down sidesaddle on one of the horses, facing him. _Here goes_, he thought.

Beth looked at him wide-eyed, and felt his anxiety. He had that look of longing he used to get when she was human. "Beth," he began, "being with you has changed my life so much I want to be with you forever. I love you with all that I am. Would you be my wife?"

He took his hand from his pocket, holding a small box. Beth stared as he opened it revealing a ring made of white gold with a large diamond set with small blue sapphires. She was speechless and Mick stirred uncomfortably when she didn't respond. She put her hand to her throat, not needing a breath but trying to get the words out. "Yes, yes." She finally gasped, throwing her arms around him and sliding off the carrousel horse. He captured her mouth kissing her thoroughly before pulling back slightly. He was still holding the box and now took the ring and slid it onto her finger.

"Oh, Mick, it's so lovely. It fits perfectly." Beth's eyes were shining, matching the sapphires twinkling in the ring.

Mick rocked back on his heels a moment, pleased that she'd accepted him and was impressed with the ring. "So, when do you want to get married?"

"We'll have to talk about it. Right now I want to enjoy being engaged for a while." She answered, smirking.

"Speaking of enjoying, I had them put some champagne on ice for us back at the suite. We need to celebrate."

Beth moved closer to him, putting her arms around his waist, taking in his scent. "Pretty confident I'd say yes, weren't you?"

"Well, er, I—I thought, you know…." He started, flustered.

She laughed softly. "Let's go." She took his hand, leading him off the carrousel toward the hotel.

The next night, Beth entered the lobby of the hotel, intent on checking to see if there was an evening cruise up the Hudson. She was glad that neither of them had sensed any danger the night before when they returned from the Park. After drinking their blood and champagne, they'd spend hours celebrating their engagement, until they finally made it to the freezer for some much-needed rest.

Mick was still in their suite on the phone with a former client who called needing some information on a case Mick worked on. After picking up some brochures to examine, she thought about going back upstairs to see what was taking him so long. She glanced down at her ring again, happiness washing over her. She started toward the elevators. Maybe they didn't need to go anywhere tonight….

Scenting someone familiar, Beth spun around and came face-to-face with Natalya, who was sneering at her. Beth's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?" She asked in a low voice.

"You should be asking what I want after you staked me, humiliated me and your friend ran me out of town." Natalya hissed, her voice rising and her eyes taking on a silver tint.

Beth saw several people looking at them, and didn't want to start a bitch fight in the hotel lobby. She nodded toward the door. "Why don't we take this outside?" She said in the vampire undertone.

"Fine." Natalya spit and turned, striding to the doors toward the street. Beth followed; hoping Mick would show up soon.

The vampire manager behind the desk saw the altercation and the two women looking like they would rip each other apart. He had two vamp security guards, but one was taking a VIP to the airport and the other was on the 9th floor. He quickly alerted the guard to finish his call upstairs and hurry to the lobby. He also tried to call Mick St. John's room but there was no answer. The manager was torn—he couldn't leave the desk unattended. He hoped the guard would get here soon.

Natalya swished through the revolving door and turned to face Beth as she emerged. "I should stake you in the sun for what you did to me." Natalya cried, enraged. "I'll still take your sire, I can make him mine." As she spoke, Natalya moved along the front of the hotel until she came to a small alleyway between the buildings. It would be much easier to kill the fledgling without witnesses.

Beth followed, anger jetting out of her, her hands clenched in rage as the older vampire taunted her. "He doesn't want you. The only way you can get a man is to hypnotize them so they can't see what an ugly bitch you are."

Natalya was infuriated this upstart youngling would dare insult her. She lunged at Beth, spinning her around and grabbing as she bared her fangs ready to rip the blonde's throat. Beth's mind turned cold and she struck out defensively, twisting away as Mick taught her.

Abruptly the pressure stopped and Beth saw shock in Natalya's silvered eyes as she fell, her head partially severed from her body. Blood spurted on Beth and for a half second she was paralyzed, and then heard muffled shots around her. She dove for cover, rolling behind a trash dumpster. The shots continued, and there was a scuffle. After that some grunts and footsteps coming toward her.

"Beth." She heard Mick say softly. "Where are you?"

She dragged herself up from the dirty cement. "Mick!" She panted as he wrapped his arms around her. "Are you all right?" There was the scent of vampire blood, but he couldn't tell if it was Beth's. Her clothes and hair were covered in gore.

"I think so." But, when she moved her right arm, it hurt. It was the first time since she'd been turned that she'd felt pain. Looking over, she saw her sleeve was torn and there was a bleeding wound.

Mick turned his head and Beth saw there was another vampire in the alley. He had a uniform and she presumed he was from the hotel. The guard came over. "I've called the Cleaners. Do you know who the other woman was?"

"Was?" Beth asked.

The three looked down at the once-beautiful woman and saw there was no coming back from this death. Now the guard took charge. He led them to a steel door further down the alley and unlocked it. "Here, go to the second door on the left and wait. It's the security office. We'll get you fixed up and the Cleaners will want to talk to you."

Mick nodded his thanks and put his arm around Beth's waist to help her into the room. She was going to protest that she was fine, but each step was a little harder and she realized she had lost a good amount of blood.

They sat down and the vampire manager strode in looking concerned. After taking one glance at Beth, he went to a painting on the wall which hid a small refrigerator and took out a packet of blood. Handing it to Mick, he said, "The Cleaner will be here in a few minutes. He glanced out the door. "I'll go check on things."

Mick wanted to ask him more, but Beth moved against him and he wanted to get the blood into her. "Here, sweetheart." He opened the package, helping her to drink. She gave a sigh as she finished and Mick shifted her to see her wound. There was a gash and puckered skin where the bullet had passed through. Mick pulled aside the torn clothing, and noted it was no longer bleeding.

"How does it look?" Beth asked with a grimace.

"I think it will be okay, we just have to get some more blood in you. It's not bleeding; it's just slow to heal."

"It hurts like the dickens." Beth moved her arm to check her mobility. "Did they use silver?"

"It smells like it." Mick responded. He found some tissues and a cup of water and was trying to wipe away the excess stains from Beth's arm. "How is it now?"

"Better. I can see why vampires avoid silver at all costs."

Mick went to the fridge and retrieved another bag of blood. Taking a few replenishing sips himself, he gave her the packet. She drank more slowly and snuggled up to Mick. Now that the shock was wearing off, Beth was horrified that she almost died permanently. Mick felt her distress and put his arm around her. "I've got you, Beth." He comforted her. He was terrified she might have been killed. He knew she would have been hurt badly if not for her vampire reflexes.

"You were brave out there tonight." Mick started to ask her what happened when the security guard came through the door followed a woman in black leather. The head Cleaner was a redhead with her hair tied back in a severe bun. She hooked a chair leg with her boot-clad foot and dragged it near Mick and Beth.

"Mr. St. John?" She asked without preamble.

"Yes. This is Beth Turner, my fiancée." He replied and Beth smiled slightly—she wasn't used to being engaged yet.

"What happened?"

Beth recounted her run-in with Natalya, and how they ended up in the alley next to the hotel. Mick's eyes hardened. "Beth, you shouldn't have gone out there alone."

She sighed. "I know, but she was making a scene in front of everyone. I just wanted to get her away before she vamped out. I couldn't walk away, she was in a rage and I thought that would make it worse."

"Well, she won't be causing any more trouble that's for certain." The Cleaner commented.

Beth shook her head. "I know she was trying to hurt me, but I didn't do anything to help her…."

"You're what, about a year old?" The Cleaner asked and Beth nodded. "I'd say you did pretty well. Most fledglings would've gotten themselves killed."

Mick smiled with pride. "We've been training. My job can get dangerous and Beth's a trouble magnet."

"Well, we have trouble now. The humans who attacked you are hunters." The Cleaner stated flatly.

Mick growled softly and Beth felt his alarm. "How do you know?"

The security guard spoke up. "I killed one, but the other two got away. I checked the body. He had all the tools; silver cartridges, silver coated knives, machetes and communication devices."

The Cleaner leaned closer. "We're going to try and track their communications, but they've probably changed their ID's by now." She looked at Mick. "I understand you reported something to the manager a few nights ago?"

"Yeah. I thought there was something weird going on, but I couldn't see anything unusual."

"The hunters probably staked out the hotel. This is one of the more popular vamp hotels in Manhattan."

The guard said, "We're upping security, and a couple of the Cleaners will patrol the streets around here to make sure no one's loitering around the hotel. "But," the guard sighed, "it's hard to flush them out. They strike and disappear."

"We had some in Los Angeles about twenty years ago. They killed a couple of us, then we never heard from them again." Mick observed.

The Cleaner stood up. "I hope that's the case now. I'll let you get back to your room. If I have any further questions, I'll be back. When do you leave?"

Mick looked at Beth uncertainly. "We were supposed to be here another three nights, but maybe we should leave earlier….."

Beth had been quiet up to this point, but now said, "Absolutely not! We're not having our holiday ruined by some damned hunters."

They felt the Cleaner's approval, but she merely said, "Fine. I'll let you get some rest." She hustled out to her waiting team.

Mick checked Beth's arm and it was just a red mark now. "C'mon, sweetheart, let's get you upstairs. I think we've had enough excitement for the night."

Beth sighed in agreement. She really wanted to take that river cruise, but she needed a shower and the comfort of her sire's arms. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

TBC

_**I hope everyone approves of Natalya's end. I almost let Beth do it, but the hunters needed to start somewhere. Next, Mick and Beth get to finish their vacation and Josef doesn't like what he hears. **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for the delay in posting, I was a bit under the weather. Here's more about the hunters and who's really behind them. **_

Chapter 5

There was silence in the SUV heading for the hotel in Newark. Bobby drove while Rafe sat in the back seat pondering their next move.

The other hunter sat next to Bobby and turned to Rafe, snarling. "That was stupid, man. We should've had more firepower, an AK or something."

They had miscalculated and one of them had died. They should have isolated the vampires and picked them off one by one. He shook his head. It was a mistake he couldn't make again, and now their numbers were down by one. He needed to talk to the Chief and let him know what happened. Rafe knew they were a small group and maybe the Chief would have some ideas how to get to the vamps.

Rafe answered the other hunter. "It wouldn't have helped to use larger weapons. There were humans there and the cops would have been down on us in a second. I thought we could surprise them, but there were too many vamps around that hotel. We need to regroup and figure our next move." He looked out of the car window, dissatisfied. He really needed to talk to the Chief. He saw a strip mall with a liquor store still open. "Hey Bobby, pull in there." He ordered. Opening the car door, he said, "I'm going to get some booze so we can have a drink to Gus."

"What about his body?" The other hunter asked.

"Those damned vamps will get rid of it. I didn't wanna leave him, but they would've killed us. Just one more reason we need to get rid of the vermin." Rafe sneered. He slammed the door shut and headed toward the store.

"Yeah, I could really use a drink." Bobby said to himself.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Marie was blissfully sitting on the soft leather sofa in Josef's outer office. Josef sat next to her, holding her wrist with his fangs embedded in her arm. The feeling was indescribable for her as he pulled the blood from her pulsing vein. Too soon for her, he stopped and licked the wound closed. He settled her on the sofa with her head back to recover. In the old days he would have her on his lap, hand up her skirt adding to her enjoyment. Simone knew all too well how he treated the freshies and made sure the only thing he got from them now was blood. That was fine with him as Simone made sure he was more than satisfied in other areas.

Whispering a thank you to Marie, Josef went into his private office and checked his messages. He frowned as he saw one from Emmaline Martin, the head of Council for America. _Shit,_ he thought, then wondered if Mick and Beth were all right. Pressing the number, he waited uneasily for an answer.

"_Yes?"_ came the gravelly voice of Emmaline.

"Em, it's Josef. What's wrong?" He demanded.

He heard a sigh over the 3,000 miles. _"I just wanted you to know that we've got hunters in New York, so I'm letting all the Elders know. We sent out a broadcast email to them, but since your friends were involved I wanted to talk to you personally."_

"Mick and Beth?" Josef asked, tensing up.

"_They're fine, Josef, don't worry. They're staying at the Fitzpatrick. There are quite a few vamps there, including Natalya Ivanovich." _

"Yeah, I know, Mick told me."

He could hear hesitation on the other end. _"Unfortunately," _Emmaline continued_, "the hunters killed her and Beth was slightly injured in the crossfire. She's fine now."_ Emmaline overrode Josef's questions. _"The Cleaners took charge but we can't get a trace on the hunters. They seemed to be well-armed and have intimate knowledge of us."_

_Damn._ Josef's thoughts shifted into self-preservation and protection mode for all those he was responsible for. "So you think someone's feeding them information?"

"_I'm afraid so. It could be anyone; a disgruntled freshie, or any of the humans who deal with us."_

"Shit." Josef spat. If that were the case, it would be almost impossible to find the informant, not to mention who and where the hunters were.

"_Are Mick and Beth leaving for LA?"_ Emmaline asked.

"I don't know." Josef frowned. "They were supposed to say a few more days. I'll give them a call."

"_Very well. I'll keep you apprised of anything. If there are any reports of hunters in other cities, I'll be calling an Elders meeting so we can discuss options."_

"Thanks, Em." Josef hung up, scrubbing his hand over his face. He straightened up, his mind going over the precautions they had for vampire hunters in his region. They had a good plan in place that would hopefully protect the community. He would notify the Cleaners, who would put the clubs and hotels on alert. Rider had most of the local vamps set up for email and they would be notified by morning.

Josef sat down at his desk and started making calls.

xxxxxxxxx

After the attack, Mick and Beth returned to their suite by the back stairs to avoid anyone seeing Beth's bloodied state. She immediately went to the shower and stuffed her stained clothing into the trash bin. Mick fixed himself a drink and sat brooding while Beth was in the bathroom. After her shower, she pulled the tie on her silk robe and entered the main room to see Mick's hazel eyes full of concern.

"Sweetheart," he started, "why did you run out of the hotel like that? You have to stop jumping into dangerous situations."

She sighed, refraining from rolling her eyes. Mick noted her stubborn expression and pulled her down next to him. He looked at her intently, his eyes going silver. "I mean it, Beth. You're not only my childe, you're going to be my wife. You need to listen to me on this."

She knew his comments came from love, and perhaps he was right. She leaned on his arm. "I'm sorry you were worried. Maybe I made a bad choice on the spur of the moment, but I think I could have handled that bitch."

Mick looked at her with exasperation. "She's hundreds of years older than you, Beth, what chance would you have had?"

Beth tamped down her own irritation. "Well, for one, you've been training me. I was doing fine until the humans got to us."

"That's still no reason to try to confront her yourself. You didn't scent the humans either."

"She said she'd take you from me, that she would still have you. I wasn't going to let her get away with that."

He could see she was more distressed about Natalya than the hunter's attack. "That could never happen, baby." Mick responded.

"It almost did before. She was able to hypnotize you and you didn't even know it. You have no idea how I felt when I saw you with her in Josef's office." Her voice broke.

Mick held her close. "I'm so sorry that happened." They sat for a moment, lost in thought. "She had powers, but I never would be with her of my own free will. She's gone now and won't bother us again."

"I know." Beth said into his chest. "What about the hunters? You mentioned them once a while ago, but never said anything else. Are there many?"

He leaned back on the sofa, his arm still around Beth. "I don't know, I've only run into them once before. It was in the 80's and there were fewer vampires in Los Angeles. They injured a couple of us and then disappeared."

"Are they fanatics or something?"

Mick shrugged. "We never found out. Josef was just starting to organize the territory then and we didn't have the network we have now." He smiled slightly. "I think it'd be hard to keep a day job and hunt vampires at night."

"Hmm." Beth said, her mind working. "They'd have to have pretty good resources. And they didn't try anything in public tonight. I wonder why?"

Mick's cell rang. He should have known. "Hello, Josef." He cast Beth a knowing look and she stifled a giggle.

"_Hey, Mick. You guys all right?"_

"We're fine, Beth got grazed with a silver bullet, but she's healed up now."

"_Good."_ Josef said. "_I heard from Emmaline about the hunters."_

"Yeah, we took one out, but two got away. We couldn't chase them, there were too many people around."

"_Too bad, it would've saved some trouble." _

Mick sighed. "They seemed have a lot of equipment, so I don't think it's just a few random nut jobs."

"_I think you're right. We're alerting everyone in the LA metro area."_

Mick was aware Josef's paranoia knew no bounds. "Hey, I think it's a little early to panic. There's no sign of any trouble in LA, right?"

Josef growled under his breath. "_It's never too early to be prepared."_ He changed the subject. _"Are you guys coming home early?"_

Beth had heard the conversation on both sides and said loudly. "No."

"_Didn't think Blondie would be scared off by a little silver."_ Josef chuckled. He wanted to ask about the proposal but knew Beth was listening. _"So we'll see you in a couple of nights?"_

"Uh-huh. Oh, by the way, get ready to write your best man speech—Beth and I are officially engaged."

"_Hey, congrats, man."_ Josef responded_. "Glad she's willing to marry your sorry ass." _

"Yeah, yeah." Mick said in good humor. "I could say the same for you and Simone."

"_Hmmph. I'm a catch."_ Josef preened.

At this, Beth laughed out loud, and commented into the phone, "Just tell Simone that we're going to be doing some serious planning when I get back so you better pick a date."

"_I'll tell her. As long as I don't have to choose flower arrangements. See you when you get back."_

Mick disconnected the call and turned to Beth. "Now, where were we?"

Beth smiled and let her robe drop to reveal a smooth shoulder. "I think you were telling me what a naughty girl I am. I probably deserve to be punished." She said in a sultry voice.

Mick's eyes went crystal and he let out a low growl. He loved it when Beth seduced him. "Yes, you've been a very bad girl." He felt himself harden and his fangs drop as he scooped up Beth and quickly made for the bedroom.

The next night, Mick and Beth went to another show and out to a jazz club. He was vigilant but never sensed any further threats. On their last night Beth wanted to go to the Empire State Building. The observation floor was open very late and she wanted to see the city one last time before they left.

Beth was all excitement as they took a cab to the building. While the icy wind caused other tourists to huddle, Beth turned and let the wind lash her long blond hair. Mick stood next to her, enjoying the chill just as much.

"You know, I would've thought you'd have proposed up here." She said, tilting her head at him.

"Nah, too cliché." He replied.

"I don't care, it's beautiful." They went to the edge and surveyed the panoramic view. Mick puller her back to his chest and held her. She sighed in contentment wishing their flight wasn't just a few hours away. Even with the hunters, it had been a wonderful trip and she loved having Mick all to herself. She would have to make sure they had time for each other once they returned to Los Angeles.

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On a different continent another vampire completed a telephone call. He had just learned that the idiots he sent to New York had bungled and let their presence be known. Yes, they had killed a vampire, but now the local vamp authorities would be on alert. He got up and poured another brandy and blood. Jochi Khan did not suffer fools gladly. He was the son of the great Genghis and had lived long years by being smarter than the common herd.

Ever since his childe, Lola, had been run out of LA, he had been plotting to gain a foothold in America. Lola had been thwarted, but he was made of sterner stuff. He wanted Lola out of the way while he carried out his latest scheme in America, so he'd sent Lola to Russia with his oldest childe to negotiate for some diamond mines. The owner of the diamond cartel was a pig, but Lola would convince him to sell.

While in Europe, Khan styled himself the Comte de Valbonne, and indeed, he did have property in that area in the south of France. No one doubted his claim, and his aristocratic ways and command of languages stopped any questions. To be 'Monsieur le Comte' suited him well in the human and vampire circles he frequented. No one saw him descend into the murky back streets of Paris seeking the lowest dregs of vampire society. He was gathering a formidable force of killers, kept loyal by large amounts of Euros. When he had enough strength, he would put his plan into motion.

Valbonne took another long drink and contemplated his next move. He had sent several groups of hunters to cities in America. The humans he recruited believed he hated vampires because they had massacred his family. They were so easily led. He financed them, gave them information on how to kill vampires and where to find them. By this means, Valbonne planned to throw the city Elders and Council off balance long enough to play his hand. He had stayed out of sight for too long. It would be good to get back into the game.

The darkness drew him out into the streets. He could call a freshie, but tonight he felt like hunting.

TBC

_**This is a shorter chapter, but more is coming. Next, Ewan has an uncomfortable meeting and Josef hears something disquieting.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I appreciate all your reviews and those who only read. You make my day! Next, how to make a vampire uncomfortable….**_

Chapter 6

The road curved through the countryside and the lush green fields were punctuated by tidy homes. Ewan would have enjoyed the scenery if he didn't feel he was being driven to an inquisition. He'd never met a mother before and he was decidedly uneasy.

Sofia steered the car with ease, confident in her direction to her mother's house. They landed earlier at Santa Rosa and rented a car for the twenty-mile trip. They could have driven up from Los Angeles but it was better to not take too long traveling for Ewan's sake.

It was late afternoon and they planned to spend the evening with Maureen Harrison, Sofia's formidable mother before driving back to Santa Rosa for an early morning flight back to LA. At least Maureen knew about vampires so there was no need to hide Ewan's true nature. Still, he almost wished for pitchforks and torches. Ewan let Josef and Mick know where they were going, hoping for some advice or at least sympathy. Josef just hooted in amusement, but Mick was a little more helpful, just saying to be himself. Ewan didn't know why he was so nervous, he had been on the earth more than 700 years, and had seen more history than most vampires, but he was apprehensive about Sofia's mother.

Sofia cast a glance to the passenger's seat. "Are you okay? Do you need some blood?"

Ewan looked back at her, taking in her features. Her nose was a bit snub and her eyes a little too wide, but to him she was perfect. He hadn't felt like this for a hundred years and he didn't want to do anything to lose her.

"I'm fine." He replied. He settled back and tried to enjoy the ride. "How long has your mother lived here? She never remarried after your father died?" He asked.

"She came up here about six years ago, after I started college." Sofia said, her eyes on the road. "She was so busy with her nursing and raising me after Dad died I don't think she had time to think about relationships. Now that she's started a new business I'm hoping she'll find someone."

Ewan knew that Maureen had given up nursing and opened an interior design studio in upscale Sonoma County, north of San Francisco.

Sofia touched his hand, enveloping his cool hand in her warm one, and Ewan felt her acceptance and love. Soon they were pulling into the drive of a small but elegant house on a quiet street.

"We're here." Sofia turned to him with an encouraging look. "You'll be fine. My mother only wants me to be happy and you do."

They walked to the door and a petite dark-haired woman came to the door. Her mother hardly looked older than Sofia, her dark eyes and looks mirrored her daughter as she hugged her.

"Sofie, it's so good to see you." Her mother said before turning to Ewan.

"Mom, this is Ewan Conley." Sofia said with a wide smile.

Ewan stepped up and took her hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mrs. Harrison."

"Call me Maureen." she said leading them into the main room. She thought the vampire was just as charming and enticing as Josef. No wonder her daughter was smitten. She had wine, liquor and appetizers on a low table near the sofa, and saw Sofia pull Ewan down next to her. Maureen sat on a nearby chair. "I'm glad to meet you at last Ewan. Sofa's told me a bit about you, that you're the historian for the vampire community."

"Yes." he said a little hesitantly. Maureen watched him neutrally and he couldn't get a reading on her emotions. "I travel a great deal and for the last twenty years or so I've been in Europe and Russia. Since the USSR folded, there have been many changes in the socio-economic landscape that have affected humans and vampires."

They discussed this for a few minutes, and Sofia was proud that her mother was knowledgeable enough to offer opinions on Ewan's work.

Finally, Maureen fixed him with a sharp look and asked, "So, what plans do you have for Sofia? Do you love my daughter?"

Sofia reacted with an exasperated, "Mother!"

Ewan put down his wine glass. "Maureen, when I was human I was a monk." Her eyes widened as he continued. "My sister had our sire and I was what you call 'a third wheel.' After I was turned, I spend all my time at university, ashrams in India or monasteries in Tibet. I was used to being alone. About a hundred years ago, I met a young human woman and thought I could find happiness. She was horrified when I revealed myself. It's taken me many years to be ready to risk my heart again." He turned to Sofia and took her hand. "So yes, I do love your daughter and I'll do everything to make her feel cherished."

Maureen nodded. She wanted to ask if he would persuade her daughter to be turned, but the mutinous look in Sofia's eyes silenced her. She knew her daughter's stubborn streak would kick in if she pushed too hard. She would talk to her daughter about that another time. "If you're both happy, then we can leave it at that."

Sofia let out a breath she was holding and Ewan relaxed a little. Maureen smiled and said, "How about a refill, Ewan?" She poured more wine into her own glass, then topped off his. Sofia held out her glass and her mother frowned, "No more for you, young lady, you're driving."

Sofia rolled her eyes, and said "Yes, Mom. I'll go get a soda." Things seemed to be going well and she hoped the rest of the evening would be as easy.

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"Do you like the colors?" Simone asked.

"I think everything will be perfect." Megan responded. Simone glanced around the room at Beth and Sofia, who nodded in agreement. She frowned at some the pictures she held in her hand. She had invited her friends to get their opinions on her upcoming wedding with Josef. Sofia had returned from her visit with her mother and told her friends about how Ewan had charmed Maureen and their meeting had been a success. She left out the parts about Maureen questioning Ewan. It brought up the unasked question if she wanted to be turned—and Sofia didn't really want to think about right now.

"I don't know." Simone sighed, looking at the samples again. "I don't want it to be too over the top." She had hired a wedding planner, but wanted her friends' opinion on the choices. She was glad for the input, she was so busy at the office she didn't have time to do it all herself.

Beth sat forward, "It will be fine, Simone. You know Josef likes to throw kick-ass parties and your wedding should top them all."

Simone smiled slightly "Yes; he loves to party as long as he doesn't have to do anything. That's why I planned my own birthday bash last year." She didn't mind because she knew Josef's snarky attitude masked his love for her.

"Have you found your dress?" Sofia asked.

"I've gotten it down to two, but I don't know which one. Josef said I should buy both and wear whichever one I feel like on the wedding day."

Beth snorted. "Men have no idea. Each dress needs its own shoes, jewelry, and even different underwear."

The ladies shook their heads in wonder at men's ignorance. Simone replenished their glasses with champagne and sat back down.

"How about if we meet you at the salon and you can show us the dresses?" Megan suggested.

"That would be wonderful. I really need an outside opinion." Simone said gratefully.

"I think you have everything else covered." Beth said, closing the folders they had been reviewing. "It's going to be a lovely wedding. Where are you going on your honeymoon?"

"We're going to Gstaad for some skiing. It's the end of the season, but there should be some good snow. Josef loves the weather and I haven't been skiing since college. He knows a vampire that has a chalet there so we'll be comfy." Simone frowned a little. "We can only stay ten days or so—I'm too swamped to be gone longer and you know how Josef is about business."

"That's too bad." Sofia commented.

Simone sighed. "It's not so much the corporate work, it's the outside clients that are taking so much time."

"What do you mean?" Beth asked.

"Well, there are quite a few vamps do business with Josef. They have their own lawyers, but when they have something that involves vampires, they don't trust the humans. Since I'm engaged to Josef, I'm considered family. A few of them asked if I could handle some transactions and before you know it, they're calling all the time."

Beth nodded sagely. "Yeah, Mick used to work mostly human cases, but now it's changed to vampires needing help. The vampire community is a closed society and they only trust a few outsiders."

"I've turned a lot of the Kostan Industries work over to the other lawyers in the office and I'm handling the outside clients." Simone shrugged. "Josef doesn't have any problem with it, I bill them like any other attorney and it keeps everyone happy."

Sofia spoke up. "Maybe you should open your own practice for vampires only. You'd probably be busy."

"Right, I could get business cards with little fangs on them….." Simone sniggered and the other ladies giggled.

Simone became serous and turned to Beth. "Have you and Mick set a date?"

"No, we're in no hurry and I want to enjoy being engaged for a while." Earlier they had examined Beth's engagement ring, which was comparable in size with Simone's. Beth laughed that Mick wanted to make sure everyone saw it and knew she was off limits.

"It's nice when you don't have to worry about time catching up to you. I think Josef is ready to turn me so I'll be joining you sometime after the wedding." Simone said with a casual air.

Beth and Megan nodded understandingly, but Sofia looked at Simone wide-eyed. "You made up your mind just like that?" She asked.

"Oh, no. It's taken a long time for Josef to be ready and me to be certain. Forever is a huge commitment, you can't jump in."

"I jumped, but I'm not sorry." Beth continued. "I was heading there anyway and it might have taken Mick another few years to make up his mind so my situation worked out for the best. I'm glad I didn't have to wait until I looked older than him!"

"But what about—" Sofia started.

"What?" Megan asked.

"I mean, what about children?"

Simone answered. "I wouldn't mind children in the abstract, but I never thought about my own. I've always been focused on school and my career to think about them. Then I met Josef…"

"I had two boys." Megan said softly. "They died along with my husband during the plagues in Ireland. It was a sad time for me and I couldn't think of more children. After that, I met my sire and started a new life."

Beth shrugged. "I guess I'm like Simone. I was too busy with college and getting ahead. I think Josh may have wanted a family but we were only together a year and never got that far in our relationship."

Sofia looked thoughtful and Simone changed the subject. "Okay, why don't I let you know when we can check out the wedding gowns. Would an evening next week work? We could meet for drinks downtown and go from there."

They all agreed, and soon were saying goodbyes. Sofia left last and Simone pressed her arm.

"Don't be afraid to take your time, Sofia. It's better to be 100 percent certain of what you want."

Sofia nodded. "Ewan's not pressing me at all. It's such a big decision."

"Yes it is." Simone responded. "And it's your decision. Don't let anyone influence you one way or another. It's something between you and Ewan. You'll know when the time is right."

Sofia smiled gratefully. "Thanks, I needed to hear that. It's been a bit of a strain with visiting my Mom and all."

"I bet." Simone chuckled.

Sofia left and Simone tidied up her condo. It was close to midnight and wondered if she could call Josef. No, she decided. He was having 'man-cave' time with Mick. She'd see him at the office tomorrow. _It was a good thing vampires didn't get hangovers_, she thought.

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The soft clack of billiard balls was punctuated by Mick St. John's whoop of victory. "Gotcha again, old man."

"A lucky shot." Josef glowered. He really needed to practice. This was the third game of eight-ball that Mick had won out of the five they'd played so far. While the ladies were at Simone's wedding planning, he and Mick opted for the soothing company of the billiard table and sixty year-old single malt scotch.

Mick was quick to press home his win. "So, what do you owe me?" Josef liked to play for high stakes. "A bottle of the Dalmore, right?"

"Yeah." He hated to part with it, but he couldn't get out of it now. Josef thought he was being smart with his bet. A bottle of expensive scotch versus Mick drinking fresh for a month. He knew Beth was encouraging Mick to drink freshly donated blood, but there was nothing like the fresh from the vein variety. Now he'd lost at $3,000 bottle of scotch. He'd have to get Blondie on board with the freshie idea. He was sure he could convince her that drinking fresh was healthier and she would make sure Mick did. Feeling more upbeat, he grinned wickedly at Mick.

"Wanna make it five out of seven games?"

Mick just smirked. "Why? I'd just kick your butt again." He sat down, stretching his long legs out, sipping his drink.

Josef's cell rang. He'd forgotten to turn it off during the game. "Kostan." he answered shortly.

"_Mr. Kostan, this is George Miller in New York." _

Josef frowned. Miller handled his New York real estate and usually communicated via email. "What do you need, George?"

"_Uh, you asked me to keep track of John Whitley."_

Josef stiffened and Mick noticed at once. "Yes?"

"_I thought you should know that John Whitley passed away earlier today." _

"Oh." Josef was at a loss for words. He felt relief that he didn't have to be on guard against Whitley, and sadness when he thought of Sarah.

The silence stretched and finally George Miller asked, _"Is there anything else I can do, Mr. Kostan?"_

Josef pulled himself together. "Can you check if Whitley had any other relatives? Use an investigator if necessary and put it on my account. I'd also like to know about the funeral arrangements."

"_Of course, sir. I'll email you the information as soon as I have it." _

"Thanks." Josef hung up and sat down wearily. Mick had heard the conversation and poured Josef a generous amount of the expensive scotch.

"Sorry, Josef." Mick commented. He knew that any mention of the Whitley's brought back memories of Sarah.

"Thanks." He tossed back the amber liquid and took an unneeded breath.

"I didn't know you were keeping track of Whitley."

"Of course I have. He tried to kill me. I could've had him taken care of, but I couldn't destroy Sarah's father. So I had him watched. After that assassin blew up my office, Whitley's dementia worsened and he's been almost comatose since then."

"At least it's over now." Mick tried to be optimistic.

Josef shook his head. "I don't know. He may have left instructions for someone telling about vampires or even had something organized. Maybe that's why there are hunters surfacing now."

"Whoa, Josef. That's a pretty big maybe. There's no proof of any connection."

Josef started to pace. "I don't know, it seems like too much of a coincidence."

"Look, why don't you wait until you hear back from your people in New York. Besides, we haven't had any hunters in LA—"

"—that we know of. Josef finished. "Doesn't mean they're not out there, we just haven't found them yet."

Mick knew it wouldn't do any good to argue with Josef when his paranoia was rampant. He could tell Josef wasn't in the mood for billiards anymore. "Why don't we have a cigar out by the pool?" Mick suggested.

"Fine." Josef said, still preoccupied. Mick extracted two excellent Arturo Fuentes cigars from a humidor and they headed outdoors. The California sky was clear and the moon was quartered as they took comfortable chairs on the large patio. The two vampires lit up and smoked a few minutes, enjoying the night air.

"I may have to go to New York." Josef said, breaking the silence.

"Do you need me to go?" Mick asked.

"I'd rather have you here to watch out for Simone."

Mick raised his eyebrows. "Do you think she's in danger?"

"I don't know but I'd feel better if you were around." Josef relaxed a bit. "She's spending too much time with your fiancée and you know what trouble Blondie can get into. Simone's still human for now."

"Are you…..?"

Josef nodded, anticipating the question. "Yes, she'll join the tribe a few months after the wedding."

"Oh." Mick kept his face blank. He still had ambivalent feelings about turnings, but he was happy with Beth and he wanted his friend to be happy too. Simone was a perfect match for Josef and their relationship stood the test of time. "I'm glad if that's what you both want."

"It's taken us a while to figure it out."

"Hmm." Mick said with a glint in his eye. "Since you're my step-sire, I guess Simone will be my sister and Beth's aunt?"

Josef choked on his cigar smoke, coughing. "Geez, Mick, you know that's not how it works. And I'm _NOT_ your sire."

"Right." Mick grinned into the darkness, savoring his cigar.

TBC

_**Kind of a transition chapter, but more will be happening soon. Next, maybe Josef isn't so paranoid after all. **_

_**Thanks for all your support!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sorry I've been so long, had some RL issues. Here's the next chapter—hope you like. The bad guys are closing in~~~~~~~~**_

Chapter 7

A short knock on the hotel door brought the bodyguard to attention. It was past midnight and the Comte had told him to expect a visitor. They were in a vampire hotel in Sacramento, the capital of California, and the visitor was a distinguished vampire State Senator.

The Comte de Valbonne heard the knock and came quickly into the suite's sitting room. "That's fine, Bruno, you may wait in the bar downstairs." The bodyguard gave him a look, and the Comte waved him away. "Don't worry, I can handle our visitor. Come back in an hour."

Without a word, Bruno opened the door allowing a well-dressed vampire, looking about 45 enter the room. The man's strong features were not particularly handsome, but put together they were attractive, with graying hair. Bruno left, closing the door.

The Comte moved forward, "Senator MacKay, thank you for coming. Please sit and may I offer you a drink?"

Unsure but gratified by the older vampire's greeting, he responded. "Yes, that would be fine." The Senator was used to dealing with all kinds, both human and vampire.

Khan had come to California under his alias of Comte de Valbonne to undermine the current Elder, Josef Kostan. The Comte had his plans for the Council in New York, but needed to consolidate power in the second largest vampire population in America.

He provided the Senator with blood and champagne and sat across from him. "I have a proposition for you."

MacKay regarded the foreign vampire warily. "What kind of proposition?"

Valbonne smiled. "One that will be favorable, I assure you." He leaned forward and started to talk in a low voice.

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Beth breezed into the West Side Donation Center to find Guillermo. She noted with approval that the waiting room was full of college students using the free Wi-Fi on their phones or laptops. Business had been good with the word spreading on campus about the center and the high pay for blood donations. Guillermo was proving to be an excellent manager, making sure medical standards were maintained and the rarer blood types were channeled to hospitals. Vampires would have paid a large premium for the rarer types but both Guillermo and Beth were adamant that medical facilities receive them.

Beth found Guillermo in the back office on his computer. She smiled. "Hi, G. How are you?"

"Hey, Beth." He leaned back in his chair, returning her smile. "I'm good, thanks. Been busy."

"I can see. Is everything going all right?"

Guillermo turned the computer screen so she could see. "Yeah, we're doing pretty well. We're not making a huge profit after overhead and all, but it's good for now."

"I don't think this is ever going to be a moneymaker." Beth commented. "We just wanted to get our supplies organized after that mess a few months ago."

"Well, the other shop is doing almost as well." Terrance, the other vampire that worked at the morgue with Guillermo ran a second donation center, also near a large university.

"Great." Beth pulled out some papers from her briefcase. "I have some marketing ideas for the internet." She handed them across the desk. "Take a look and let me know what you and Terrance think."

Guillermo glanced at them and nodded. "I'll get with him in the next night or so and get back to you."

"Good. Guess I'll run—Mick's at home and I haven't seen him much, it's been so crazy."

"Beth, hang on a minute." Guillermo said, frowning. "You know we have a vamp on duty to distribute the blood. Over the last week or so, Charlie's noticed some rough looking characters buying blood."

"What do you mean?"

"He said they were tough, like military or security guys. Most of them with foreign accents. They pay with cash and don't give names."

Beth frowned. "How many have been here?"

"Charlie said there are three different guys, but they buy enough blood for at least eight vamps."

She shook her head. "We can't refuse them if they haven't done anything. But I'm concerned that they're strangers."

"Yeah, but we don't know every vamp in town." He shifted in his chair. "They could be transients or maybe our new shop pulled them away from their regular supplier….."

"Could be." Beth said slowly. "I'll mention it to Mick and see what he thinks."

"Good idea." Guillermo responded. "I'll ask Charlie to press them to see if they want to set up an account. Most of our regulars have one. Better for the bookkeeping."

"All right. See you soon G." Beth left, thinking about the strangers. She did have a partially completed database with a lot of the vampires in the greater LA area. That was one of the areas of her job for Josef, but she was still working on it.

When she got to the loft, she was happy to see Mick's car. Since they returned from New York, they tried to make at least one night a week for date night and that was the plan for tonight. She entered the living quarters and scented he was in the office, alone. She peeked around the door, drinking him in with her eyes.

Mick looked up from his paper-covered desk and smiled cheerfully at her. "Hi, babe."

"Hi, yourself." She came to him, heedless of the papers and leaned over with her arms around his neck kissing him soundly. Mick pulled her closer, inhaling her unique scent which always made him feel like home. Unbidden, his eyes silvered over and his fangs grew when he nibbled her earlobe. He stood up, holding her closer. He had grown used to feeling whole after she came into his life and it was something he never wanted to take for granted.

"Ready for tonight?" He said softly into her ear. He could feel her relaxing with his touch.

"Hmm. Yes, I just need to change. Where are we going?"

"I thought we'd drop in at the Blue Moon. I heard they have a new group that plays good jazz."

"Okay, I'll be ready in a few." Beth moved with vampire speed to their room and found a flirty red dress with spaghetti straps. She matched it with some gold jewelry and kitten heels. An evening bag completed the outfit and she was back downstairs in a short time. Mick, of course, didn't have to do anything to look drop dead sexy in his dark blue shirt and leather jacket. He eyed her approvingly. "You look delicious."

"You're not so shabby yourself." She purred, slipping her arms around him under his jacket. He grinned and kissed her forehead. "Let's go."

They drove with the top down enjoying the coolness of the night. Beth wanted to talk to him about Guillermo's concerns, but it was their date and she was hesitant to talk shop.

They settled into a booth at the vampire club, far enough away from the band for conversation. The group was good, and Mick was enjoying himself. They ordered blood and scotch and enjoyed the music. Mick rarely frequented the clubs except when Josef dragged him out. It reminded him too much of the bad times with Coraline. Beth was glad that he now seemed more comfortable and willing to socialize with the vampire community.

She didn't see much difference between vampire and human clubs except for the choice of beverages. She was aware that most of the wait staff were male or female freshies who provided live refreshments. Unlike Mick, she didn't have any issues feeding fresh, but it was inconvenient to have parades of humans traipsing in and out of their home. As she got to know more vampires in the community, she found it was rare to have live-in donors like Josef. Thinking of Josef prompted her to ask, "Mick, did you hear anything else about John Whitley?"

Beth heard about Whitley's death from Mick, and was sorry that Josef had to deal with the reminder of Sarah only a couple of months before his wedding with Simone.

Mick turned from watching the band to respond. "Josef hasn't said anything, so I guess things have been settled."

She nodded. "I hate that he has to deal with all that right before the wedding. I know Simone understands about Sarah, but it's got to bother her."

"Yeah, Josef would cut off his arm before he'd admit he still feels guilty about Sarah after all these years."

Beth snuggled a little closer to Mick. "I hope there won't be any problems before the wedding. Simone's already up to her neck with work."

Mick nodded, his focus on the music. He scanned the crowd absently. He had become more familiar with the vampire community in the last year, having been to more functions that he usually attended. The club seemed to have quite a few unfamiliar faces than he remembered. He leaned over to Beth. "Sweetheart, are there more transient vamps in town lately?"

Beth looked up at him. "I don't know, I'm still working on the database. It's hard to pin down every vamp and some don't want to be on anyone's list. Why?"

He tilted his head toward the bandstand. "It seems like there are some guys I don't recognize."

Ever inquisitive, Beth peered in the direction Mick indicated. She saw some heavily-muscled vamps, sitting off to the side, a couple of them with glasses of refreshment and a couple with freshies in their laps, enjoying a fresh feed.

"I was going to tell you that Guillermo's had some strangers buying blood lately. He said they were foreign vamps that looked pretty tough."

"How many?"

"Guillermo said only three have been there to buy blood, but they're buying in quantities."

Mick looked thoughtful. He didn't want to panic, but he didn't like the look of the strangers. Of course, they could be perfectly innocent vampires just moving to LA, or passing through. Vamps weren't known for staying in one place for very long. Mick and Josef were some of the exceptions, and they had been lucky. Mick kept under the radar and Josef used his money and influence.

"I didn't know if it's anything to worry about sweetheart but I'll have a talk with Bella and the Cleaners."

"That's good. Now I just want to concentrate on you. Wanna dance, handsome?"

He gave her a lop-sided grin. "Thought you'd never ask." He rose, holding out his hand for her as they moved through the crowd to the dance floor.

xxxxxxxxxx

The Senator left the hotel after several hours of cross-questioning and negotiation. He was quite satisfied by what he'd heard from the self-styled Comte. MacKay had put himself forward in society and for the last twenty years had been successful in politics, first an attorney, then judge and now State Senator. He couldn't run for governor or any national office as there would be too much publicity and questions could be asked. He'd also had to age himself with touches of gray to his naturally dark hair. MacKay knew his days on the political scene were numbered. The Comte had offered him something he couldn't refuse—to be Elder and head of all the vampires in the Southwest Region with a healthy stipend from Valbonne. Moving to Los Angeles and into the private sector would be the break he needed to start again. MacKay was sorry Josef Kostan would have to be eliminated, but a vampire had to look after himself.

Up in the hotel suite, Valbonne was having a congratulatory drink. Things had gone very well. The Senator had given Valbonne invaluable information about Josef Kostan, and his associates, as well as his friend and enforcer Mick St. John. He had names and addresses of other prominent vampires in the city. Now they only had to be taken down. Once that was accomplished, the Senator could take over as Elder, with Valbonne pulling the strings. The timing was perfect as the Senator needed to get out of public life soon. He would be a good front for Valbonne's rule.

Valbonne turned his thoughts to New York. He had to find a way to get the Council members out of the heavily guarded building in Manhattan. He had several ideas, but in the meantime he needed to cause some trouble in LA.

He smiled to himself and picked up his telephone.

TBC

_**Things are going to get ugly for our vamps. Next, unexpected trouble and Josef gets the point.**_

_**Thank you for reading!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thanks for your support, I appreciate it! The bumpy ride is starting, hope you enjoy~~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Chapter 8

"Josef you're freezing!" Simone sleepily complained as he pulled her closer to him. He had just slipped into their bed after a few refreshing hours in the freezer.

"Sorry, doll." Josef smirked. He wasn't sorry at all, but thought an apology would deflect Simone's ire at being wakened. Well, that and his hand caressing her hip through her silken nightgown.

She turned toward him. "What do you think you're doing? You've only had four hours sleep and it's still early."

Josef snuggled closer; "I thought you'd like some company. I know I would." He started to kiss her bare shoulder, working his way to her neck.

She put her arms around him, sighing. He always knew how to tempt her even when she should be annoyed. "I guess I'll have to put up with you, seeing as we're going to be married soon."

"Oh, yeah." He mumbled as he pressed closer to her luscious figure. Simone's scent washed over him and his fangs scraped her upper arm. He just needed a little taste before the main event . . .

Josef's cell phone rang loudly from the nightstand. No one should be calling now, and it wasn't Mick's ringtone. He checked the caller ID and growled in frustration.

"Yes?" he barked into the phone. Simone shifted next to him.

After a moment's hesitation he heard, "Mr. Kostan, its George Miller in New York. I wanted to let you know that John Whitley was interred last evening. There was no service and no announcement in the press."

Josef sat up in bed, glad that Simone couldn't hear the other side of the conversation. "Is there anything else?"

"Sir, Whitley's only relative is a Robert Whitley. He's a great-nephew. He lives outside the city and has an office in Manhattan and runs a real estate business. I checked around and everyone thinks he'll inherit all John Whitley's money and property."

Josef rubbed his eyes, tiredly. This nephew would get Whitley's townhouse. If Whitley kept records there could be something damaging about vampires or Josef himself. It looked like he'd have to make a trip to New York.

"Thanks, George. I'll let you know if I need anything else." He hung up, lying back next to Simone. She was fully awake now and looking at him sharply. She sensed his mood had changed, and not for the better.

"What's wrong?"

Josef closed his eyes. "I think I have to go to New York for a few days."

Simone felt a prick of anxiety. New York usually meant Sarah Whitley. Simone always had a little dread where Sarah was concerned. After all, Sarah was the only woman Josef had ever turned for love, and if the turning had been successful, Sarah would be with Josef right now. Simone didn't doubt Josef's love for her, but Sarah always lingered in the back of Simone's mind.

She knew Josef carried a large amount of guilt for Sarah's failed turning, which was why he had been hesitant to turn Simone. Looking at Josef; she said softly, "Is everything all right?"

He looked thoughtful, the mask dropped from his face. He sighed and realized he had to tell Simone. "Sarah's father died. There's one relative left and I need to make sure he isn't any threat."

"I'm sorry, Josef. What can I do?"

He had a ghost of his snarky smile. "You're already doing it, babe." He nuzzled into her softness which wiped away the blame for Sarah. Before he left he would make sure Simone knew how much he loved her.

The next afternoon Josef was in his private jet waiting for takeoff. He'd said goodbye to Simone and left her in charge of the office. Hopefully, he'd only be gone a few days. Ewan would be acting Elder with Megan to help if needed. He glanced at his phone, which he'd silenced during most of the day. He found two calls from Mick. _Shit,_ he'd meant to call Mick but had been so distracted by the Whitley business it had slipped his mind. He pressed the phone and heard the ring.

"Hey, Josef." Mick responded promptly.

"Mick, I'm on my way to New York." Josef stated without preamble.

"Oh, you're going about Whitley?"

"Yeah, I have to make sure there are no leaks from the relatives."

"Josef," Mick said warily, "you're not going to do . . . ."

"Of course not. If I couldn't kill Whitley, I'm not going to off any of the other relatives."

"Okay, I get you." Mick changed the subject. "Beth and I were out the other night and we saw quite a few new vamps at one of the clubs. Have you heard anything about that?"

Josef pinched the bridge of his nose. Great. They didn't need an influx of new vamps when there might be hunters in LA. "No, I haven't heard of any, and no one's been formally presented." Usually when new vampires joined the community, they made a point to introduce themselves to the Elder.

"Beth is trying to track down any newcomers and I'll ask around at the clubs." Mick knew Josef was upset at having to deal with the Whitleys and hated to add to his worries, but he was a little concerned himself.

"That sounds good. Ewan's watching the region while I'm gone and Simone's at the office. I should be back in a couple of days, I hope. If you get a chance, drop in on Simone, I know she would enjoy the company."

"Sure, Josef." Mick said.

"You could share that bottle of scotch you won off me when I get back."

"Un-uh." Mick smirked. "Beth's already hijacked it. I can barely get a shot for myself. She's saving it for special occasions."

"Who knew Blondie was a connoisseur? Maybe I can win it back if she plays eight-ball with me."

"Nah, the only thing she plays is poker, but be prepared to lose."

"Ha," Josef smiled, feeling better. "Remind me to set up a game when I get back. How 'bout strip poker?"

"In your dreams, pal." Mick chuckled.

"See you when I get back." Josef hung up. He motioned to one of the lovely flight attendants who doubled as a donor. She undulated over and presented a wrist. Josef thought he'd have a snack then hit the freezer in the back for a few hours before tackling New York.

xxxxxxxxx

Ben Talbot parked outside Megan's condo building, pleased to find a parking spot. They were going to an art gallery opening that evening with Ewan and Sofia. Someone in the office had given him tickets and both Megan and Sofia wanted to go. They decided to meet at Megan's for drinks before the opening.

Ben headed for the 12th floor, familiar with the hall to Megan's door. He knocked, but didn't hear anything. Frowning, he pulled out his keys. Megan had given him one some time ago in case of emergencies. He slid the key in and unlocked the door. Before he could look around, a strong hand was on his throat, choking him as the door slammed shut. He brought his hands up to fight the hold, but was flung to the floor.

"Stay still, human." The raspy voice said. Ben looked up to see a pale man with blond, stubby hair leering at him.

"Where's Megan?" Ben demanded, starting to sit up. He heard a muffled cry and saw another man holding Megan by the neck with a chain. It seemed to be burning her and he realized it must be silver. Ben looked up at the first man, who had a gun pointed at him. "What do you want?" He asked.

The man ignored him, and then pointed the gun at Megan. With a pang of horror, he jumped up quickly trying to grab the thug's hands. The gun was silenced, but went off wildly as Megan struggled and screamed.

Ewan and Sofia were in the elevator heading up to Megan's condo a little earlier than expected. Josef had left town the day before and Ewan had been handling Elder business while Josef was gone. The weekly meeting with the Cleaners ended sooner than expected so he was able to pick Sofia up a little early. Getting off the elevator, Sofia was chatting about her workday when Ewan stopped a few doors down from Megan's condo. "Stay here." He said in a low growl. Sofia backed up to the wall, unsure. She'd never heard that tone from Ewan before.

The sounds of gunfire through the door were too quiet for humans but Ewan heard them and scented two vampire males, both strangers. He didn't hesitate and slammed through Megan's door, surprising the shooter. He quickly broke the man's neck, incapacitating him for the moment. Megan struggled with her captor, who was trying to wrap her more securely in silver chains. With a roar, Ewan pulled him away from his sister breaking the vamp's legs. He went down with a scream. Ewan pulled apart a wooden barstool and staked both vampires.

Sofia had edged closer to the open door and was relieved to see Ewan look out. "Get in here." He said briefly, checking to see if the noise had alerted any neighbors. The hall was clear and he closed the door after Sofia.

Megan had burned strips on her neck and arms, but then Sofia saw Ben Talbot on the floor the carpet covered in his blood.

"_Ben, no!"_ Megan wailed, kneeling over him. Ewan ripped off his jacket and pressed it to the wounds on Ben's chest. Ben's breathing was ragged and shallow.

"I'll call 911." Sofia cried

"_NO!"_ Ewan said sharply. "He's too far gone. We can't have humans involved." Ben had taken shots to the lungs and Ewan could tell he was bleeding internally.

Sofia watched as Megan grasped Ben's hand, her eyes filled with agony. Sofia whispered, "Ewan, we can't let him die! We have to do something."

"I know. But it's up to Megan and Ben."

Megan looked at her brother with tear stained cheeks, knowing what he meant. "We never talked about it." she said brokenly.

Immediately, Sofia understood. She knelt next to Ewan, and looked across at Megan. "He loves you; I know he wants to be with you."

Megan cupped her hands on Ben's face. "Ben, can you hear me? Please, open your eyes look at me."

Ben felt the cold start to envelop him. He felt no pain, but he couldn't breathe very well. He opened his eyes and saw Megan crying, talking to him. _I didn't know vampires could cry._ Everything seemed to be in slow motion. He thought he heard other voices, but his sole focus was on Megan. The taste of blood was strong in his mouth and in a moment of clarity he knew he was dying. He tried to reach out for Megan, and his arms wouldn't move but he felt his hand in hers. "Megan . . . " he croaked, barely able to breathe. His eyes closed.

"I'm here, love." Megan regained some control "We can't help you, you've lost too much blood." Megan could hear the rattled breathing and his heart sounds waning. "I have to turn you, do you want me to?" She couldn't bear the thought of losing another person she loved.

Ben was fading, but the anguish in Megan's voice broke through for a moment and he understood what she was asking. He tried to squeeze her hand and nod but the blackness took him.

Megan felt the small squeeze, but didn't know if was giving permission and now she could barely hear his heart. Even if he hated her, she couldn't lose Ben. Her eyes silvered and she pulled up his head to bite his neck and draw out a mouthful of blood. She'd never turned anyone, but knew the technique. She had to take at least a small amount of blood before feeding her own. She tore the sleeve of her dress and gouged at her wrist to get the blood flowing, dripping into Ben's mouth. It mingled with his own, and Ewan tried to help by rubbing Ben's throat until it seemed he swallowed. Then, Ben's heart stopped and there was nothing.

Megan sobbed, falling across Ben's chest. Sofia was crying and Ewan put his arm around her as they all sat on the floor next to Ben's body. Megan was beyond comfort and Ewan felt her misery.

"Is he—?" Sofia started to ask.

In the room both vampires suddenly smelled the addition of another vampire. The decay was imperceptible but it meant Ben had been turned. Megan's gasp of joy startled Sofia.

"What?" She asked, not understanding.

Ewan turned to her with a relieved smile. "Ben's been turned, we can smell him as a vampire."

"Oh." Sofia was still in shock, not knowing what to think, but happy that her friend was not truly dead. Megan was still fixated on Ben and Ewan knew there were many things to be done. He stood up, pulling Sofia with him. He turned her around, inspecting her clothing. She didn't have any blood on her except for her knees where she had knelt on the carpet. He walked Sofia to the kitchen and wet a towel, wiping away the stains.

"Sofia, I have to call everybody and make sure you're all safe. These vamps wanted to kill Megan and until I know what's going on I want you to either stay with me or at Josef's."

Sofia nodded slowly. "All right." She slipped her arms around his waist and he held her to him. "Will Ben be okay?" She asked softly.

"I hope so." He went to Megan's secret refrigerator and grabbed a bag of blood. "Give this to Megan." He got on the phone, calling the Cleaner and Kostan's security at the mansion. Both responded they would be there shortly.

Megan was still holding Ben's head in her lap. He seemed comatose and Megan was becoming worried. Ewan got her to drink some blood, and then got Sofia a glass of brandy.

"Drink this, honey." Sofia smiled wanly and took some large sips.

Ewan pulled the two vampire intruders out of the way, making sure the improvised stakes were still in place. They growled weakly and Ewan snarled back. He was hard-pressed not to kill them outright. He had spent his life in academia, but he still knew how to fight. This scum had hurt his sister and he wasn't into being charitable right now.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Ewan scented the Cleaner he'd met at Josef's. He let the leather-clad woman into the room. Bella took in the shambles and smelled the blood. _Shit, what went on here?_ Then she spied Ben on the floor, attended by Megan.

"Damn, an emergency turning?" she growled. By now the rest of the Cleaners as well as Josef's security guards were in the room. "What happened?"

Megan looked up, her voice becoming stronger as she spoke. "One of them came to the door saying they had flowers from Josef. He's sent flowers before so I didn't think anything of it. I opened the door a crack and both of them crashed in the door and jumped me. One tried to chain me with silver." Megan pointed to the chains on the floor. "The other was going to shoot me. Ben came in and they shot him." She looked at Ben again, hoping he would wake up.

Ewan continued the story. "I heard the shots when we were in the hall and broke in the door. I took them down, but Ben was in bad shape. Megan turned him, he was pretty well gone by then."

Bella grimaced. _This was going to be an all-nighter._ Finally she noticed Sofia. "What's the human doing here?"

Ewan moved over to Sofia quickly. "She's mine. We were coming to meet Ben and Megan tonight. I don't know what these guys are after and I plan to keep her safe."

Bella nodded and strode over to the two staked villains. "I'm glad you handled the trash." She said contemptuously and turned to Ewan. "We'll see what they know when we get them to headquarters. We'll get Talbot and the rest of you to Josef's. He's got the set up for a new turn and plenty of security."

She turned to her people. "All right, let's get going." They went to work silently

TBC

_**Poor Ben, he's still not out of the woods. Who sent the killers and can they be stopped? Next, what happens to Ben and how will Josef manage in NYC?**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Here's more on Ben's turning. It's not a good time for Josef to be out of town and he's having his own problems. Thanks for reading hope you enjoy ~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Chapter 9

Josef's majordomo, Hale, was heading for the kitchens when his cell rang. It was Ewan telling him about the unexpected turning and that they were on the way to the mansion. Hale knew a couple of the guards had been sent to Megan's condo, but had no idea it was so serious. He moved with vampire speed to inform the rest of the staff and set up a room for the newly-turned fledgling. After everything was ready, he called Simone.

"Hello." She answered.

"Miss Simone, it's Hale." Simone was driving home and could tell something was wrong.

"Yes?"

"I just heard from Mr. Ewan and there's been a situation."

Simone sighed inwardly. Hale was so circumspect she usually had to drag information from him. Then she had a flash of fear. "Is it Josef? What's wrong?" She asked, her hands tightening on the steering wheel.

"No, madam, it's not Mr. Josef." He told what had happened and what was done to prepare the house.

"Poor Ben, I hope he's all right." There was so much to think about, her head was spinning as she tried to focus on the road. She was worried about Ben. She, Sofia and Ben had formed a tight bond since they were all involved with vampires and she hated to think of him hurt. "I'll be home soon."

She hung up, but then had a thought. She pressed a button on her phone and heard the answering click. "Beth Turner." came the response

"Beth, its Simone. Are you home? Is Mick there?"

Simone's tone warned Beth the call wasn't to socialize. "Yeah, were at home. What's going on?"

Simone took a breath and told Beth the news. "Hale said that the two vamps that attacked Megan are in in the Cleaner's custody. I wondered if you two could go over and see what you can find out. With Josef gone I want to be able to update him. I'd go but I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate a human poking around."

"Okay, I'll tell Mick and we'll let you know."

Feeling a little calmer, she pulled into the mansion drive, seeing the Cleaner's van parked in front. Hale greeted her at the door, looking a little harried. "Miss Bella is upstairs with Miss Megan and Mr. Ewan. I'll get one of the guards to watch the door to secure the room."

"That's good." Not only did they have the freshies but also other human staff that were necessary to running the large household and they didn't need a newly-turned vampire on the loose.

Hale continued, "Miss Sofia is in the lounge. Chef has prepared some food for you both in there. It would be better for you both to stay there until they can ascertain Mr. Talbot's condition."

Simone frowned. "Is he all right?"

"We don't know at this point." Hale looked apologetic. "I understand his turning might not have gone well. He's still unconscious."

She nodded. "All right, thank you. Please ask Ewan or Bella to see me when they can." Simone might be human, but she was still Josef Kostan's fiancée and mistress of the house. She went to the lounge and found Sofia pacing with a glass of wine.

"Simone!" Sofia said, coming up to her. Simone gave her a brief hug.

"How are you?"

Sofia looked upset. "It was awful. I thought Ben was dead. I'm not sure what's going on. Megan and Ewan seem concerned about the turning."

Simone poured herself a glass of wine, not able to eat the buffet spread on the counter. "I only know what Josef's told me about what can happen during a turning." She hated to say it, but Sofia needed to know. "Sometimes the person doesn't wake up."

"Oh no." Sofia breathed, her eyes wide.

"Megan did the turning?" Simone asked.

Sofia nodded.

"She's an old vampire, even older than Josef. The old ones are powerful and their blood is very potent." Simone noticed Sofia's unspoken question and shrugged. "Since I'm planning on being turned I've tried to find out as much as I can beforehand."

She took Sofia's arm and moved toward the food. "C'mon, let's eat something. You look like you're going to pass out."

Sofia was pale and felt a little light headed but didn't know if it was from drinking or the need for food. "I'll try."

"Good." She filled a plate for Sofia and took one for herself. The two ate quietly for a few minutes.

"I needed that." Sofia sighed, putting her plate down. "We were supposed to go to dinner after the gallery opening. It's one of the few nights we could stay out late since we don't have court tomorrow. _Oh no!" _Sofia caught her hand to her mouth.

"What?" Simone asked, seeing the other woman's panic.

"Ben's got a trial next week. Oh my god, what will we do?"

_Damn._ Simone thought. "I don't know, but we'll think of something." Not for the first time tonight, Simone wished Josef was here.

Upstairs, Bella helped Ewan get Ben's bloody clothes off and lifted him into the freezer. Megan hovered closely near him. Ewan put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. "He'll make it, Megan, he's a strong man."

She grabbed Ewan's hand in anxiety. "What if he doesn't?"

Bella went to check to make sure there was blood in the small refrigerator, then said, "I've seen worse. You've never turned anyone before?"

Megan shook her head. "There was no need, I've always been with my sire."

"He'll probably be disoriented, and might not understand what's happened. Sometimes with a forced turning it takes a while for the mind and body to get in sync." Bella commented. "Keep an eye on him and make sure he feeds on your blood as well as fresh. If he doesn't wake in the next eight hours we may have to run an IV line. You just have to wait. I'm sure he'll be fine. Call me if you need the IV's."

Bella's calm demeanor quieted Megan's fears and she nodded appreciatively. "Thanks, I'll do whatever I can to make sure he's okay."

Ewan smiled at her. "We'll all be here for him."

"Good. Now that he's settled, I have to get back to headquarters." Bella said grimly. "I need to find out why those vamps were after you."

"Don't kill them before I have a chance at them." Ewan growled.

"There'll be enough to go around." Bella smirked. She took another look at Ben's still form in the freezer, now coated with ice crystals. "He was pretty brave to take on a vamp like that."

"He staked Lola when she attacked me." Megan said proudly.

Bella nodded in approval. "He'll make a good vampire." With that, she left the room, closing the door.

"I'll go see if Simone's back." Ewan said. He really wanted to make sure Sofia was all right and after all the trauma he needed her comfort.

He started to leave when they both heard a slight movement from the freezer. Megan moved toward it when the top slammed open and Ben sat up, his crystal eyes wild and fangs extended. He gave a hoarse cry and jumped out of the freezer, falling over a chair. In the next moment he was trying to get to the door. Ewan was there faster and caught Ben by the arm. Ben growled but Ewan was older and stronger. Ewan restrained him and Megan held him from behind, cooing softly, telling him to calm down.

Ben recognized Megan's scent and he immediately felt better. Everything was magnified; the noise in the house, the light, the smells. He gasped, realizing he wasn't breathing and it terrified him. There was a craving, emptiness more terrible than hunger that seemed to take over his entire body. He turned and clung to Megan, feeling safe with her. He was trembling and Megan could feel the bloodlust growing. She pulled him down to the floor, nicking her wrist again, drawing blood. Ben's eyes silvered and his fangs dropped in anticipation. He grabbed Megan's wrist and started licking and sucking her blood.

Seeing that Ben was occupied, Ewan retrieved some more blood from the refrigerator, pouring it into a glass and handing it to Megan.

"Here, drink this." Megan encouraged Ben softly.

Her blood calmed Ben a little, enough for him to take in his surroundings. "What—where am I? What's happened?"

"I'll tell you in a moment, but drink this first." She pressed the glass to him, and once again his eyes silvered as he scented the blood. He couldn't stop himself and downed the glass quickly. The liquid soothed him and his dizziness receded. Ben's eyes returned to their dark shade. "You made me a vampire, didn't you?" He asked Megan.

Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Yes, we couldn't save you; you'd lost too much blood. I asked you if you wanted it, but I wasn't sure you heard me."

Ben wiped away a tear from her cheek. "I saw you crying. I didn't know vampires could cry."

"I'm so sorry; I just couldn't lose you…"

The most amazing thing was that Ben could feel her emotions; love, guilt, sorrow. It was overwhelming and he felt exhausted. "I think I need to lie down Megan, I'm so tired." He just noticed he was naked but was too weary to be embarrassed.

Ewan stepped over and helped Ben up by his arm. "Come on, you need to get some rest." He steered Ben toward the double-wide freezer, helping him in. Ben didn't seem to register his location and was unconscious almost immediately. Megan looked at Ben sadly. "He didn't tell me if he wanted to be turned."

"At least he woke up and the transition seems to be successful. He's not feral or out of control." Ewan reassured her "You should climb in and get some rest yourself. He needs to have you near when he wakes. I'll come back in a couple of hours so he can feed."

Megan nodded and Ewan left noiselessly. She looked at Ben again. "Please forgive me, my love." She whispered.

Ewan went downstairs and everything seemed to be quiet. He scented Sofia and Simone in the lounge and went to join them.

"Ewan!" Sofia exclaimed, going quickly to hug him. "How's Ben?"

"I think he'll be fine. He woke up a few minutes ago. He was disoriented at first but we got some blood down him and now he's back asleep with Megan."

Simone and Sofia gave sighs of relief. "That's good." Simone smiled. "I called Mick and Beth and asked them to see about the guys who attacked Megan."

Ewan poured himself a large drink and took a moderate gulp. "Have you talked to Josef yet?"

Simone hesitated. "No, I wanted to wait to see how Ben was first. Josef might not be available for a while." Simone knew that when Josef visited Sarah he usually didn't answer any calls. "We have all the humans, except us, in the west wing for the night. We'll put a guard on his door."

"That's probably a good idea. Simone, I'd like Sofia to stay here tonight. I need to help Megan and I don't want Sofia to be alone."

"Of course." Simone responded. "There's plenty of room in the west wing, but I'll be staying in our suite. Josef had it set up like Fort Knox so it's pretty safe." Simone smirked. Josef made sure his private space was impenetrable to any outsider who tried to get in. Simone glanced at Sofia. "Let's get you settled. You could use some sleep."

Sofia wanted to protest, but exhaustion rolled over her in waves. Ewan hugged and kissed her good night and she and Simone went to find Hale.

When Simone returned to the lounge, Ewan was still there, gazing out a window onto the dark lawns. He would have to go upstairs soon to wake Megan and make sure both Ben and Megan fed. He hoped for Megan's sake that Ben came through this intact. He couldn't stand his sister to be destroyed again by a lover's passing.

Simone came over to him and he turned to her. "Did Sofia get to sleep?"

"Yes, she went right off." Simone said reassuringly. "She'll be fine, Ewan. The whole thing was a shock to her—to all of us." Simone sighed. "I wish Josef were here. I tried to call him when I was upstairs, but his phone is off. I left a message at his townhouse but I don't know when he'll get back to me."

"It must be a pretty important meeting." Ewan commented.

Simone grimaced. "Just some personal things he had to do."

"I need to go wake Megan for the next feeding." He glanced at his watch.

"I'm heading for bed myself. When you're ready, the room next to Ben and Megan has a freezer for you."

"I'll walk you to your room."

Simone sighed tiredly. "Thanks."

xxxxxxxxxx

The Cleaners headquarters was a warehouse in a respectable part of the city. The vampires kept a low profile and the neighboring businesses never noticed anything untoward. Mick parked the Benz close to the building and buzzed the doorbell, knowing that security would let them enter. The door clicked open and he let Beth in first. She was concerned about Ben but excited to check out the Cleaners' mysterious command center. A male vampire greeted them and they followed him through a myriad of hallways until they came to an office. "Wait here." the man said briefly.

"Have you ever been here before?" Beth asked in a low tone.

"Yeah." He hesitated a moment. "The night the Monahan's died."

"Oh." Beth responded, putting her hand on his arm. She knew the memory pained him even though it was Emma who condemned herself. "I'm sorry, Mick, I didn't know."

He gave her a sad look. "It's okay. It didn't need to end that way. It was all so senseless."

Beth squeezed his arm in sympathy as Bella entered, dressed in her usual black leather. She greeted them briefly, "I presume you heard about Talbot's turning."

"Simone said you had the vamps that attacked them." Mick said.

Bella curled her lip in disgust. "Yes, but they were badly injured. We've fed them and have them in the freezers under guard until they heal. A waste of perfectly good blood if you ask me."

Beth gave a small smirk. She always liked Bella's straightforward attitude. "Simone asked if we could find out what's going on."

"Nothing good." Bella frowned. "We found some papers on them." She pulled something from one of her many pockets. "It's a list of the older vampires in the city. Both your names are on it."

"A hit list?" Mick inquired

"Looks like it. I don't know who's doing it but it could be anyone who has a grudge against Josef or one of the other elder vamps."

"Shit." Mick hissed. "Just we needed—vamps on a vendetta."

"Especially if there might be hunters coming to LA." Beth added.

"I tried to reach Josef, but he's not answering his phone or returning messages. I understand he went to New York. Is he meeting with the Council?" Bella asked.

"Uh, not that I know of." Mick said. "It was something personal."

It was obvious to Bella that Mick knew more than he was telling, but it wasn't her business. Her concern was keeping the vampires in her region safe.

"Since Josef's out of the loop, I guess Ewan is acting Elder. I'm guessing he'll be at Josef's?" Bella raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, he'll want to help Megan."

"As soon as those vamps are conscious I'm going to tear them up for answers." Bella growled. "If I can't reach Ewan, I'll call you."

"Fine." Mick responded. "Anything else we can do?

Bella shook her head. "Once we get something from them we might need some computer research."

"I'll help with that." Beth suggested. "I can get Rider or Logan to help too."

"Fine. I'll walk you out." Bella stood up, and they left the small office and she led them to the outside door.

Once they were outside Mick took out his phone and tried Josef again, with no results. "Where are you, man?" Mick muttered, frustrated.

Beth slipped her arm around his waist. "Come on, love, it's almost dawn. Let's get some sleep. We can call Simone and try to call Josef later today."

Mick smiled down and hugged her to him. "Sounds good to me."

xxxxxxxxxx

Josef reluctantly left 301 Waverly Place to find Robert Whitley's office. He'd spent the previous night with Sarah. Seeing her lying there motionless yet unchanged was getting more difficult. He loved her in a caring way, his passion from fifty years ago faded. He wondered if it was because of his feelings for Simone or the guilt of what he'd done to Sarah.

In either case it made him focus on emotions, and that made him uncomfortable. He wasn't introspective and felt that too many feelings made him weak. Of course, that was before Simone. She understood his malicious side and even matched it in some ways.

He sighed as he watched the buildings pass. The limo driver knew his way around and in a short time they arrived at the building. He checked and found Whitley Enterprises was located on the 36th floor. Josef walked in with confidence in his Armani suit, even though he didn't have an appointment. The receptionist looked at him politely. "May I help you?"

"Yes," he said in his most persuasive voice. "I'd like to see Mr. Whitley. My name is Josef Kostan, from Los Angeles."

One moment, sir. The receptionist spoke into her headset. A full minute passed as she waited for an answer. Josef wondered if he'd have to find a sneakier way to talk to Whitley.

The receptionist finally got an answer and Josef could hear the voice tell her to show him in. She got up and escorted Josef to a door at the end of a hallway. "Right in here, sir." She indicated for him to open the door and she walked back to the front.

Josef took a moment to straighten his tie. He heard only one heartbeat behind the door marked 'Robert Whitley' and it was dead steady. He pushed open the door to see a man in his mid-thirties sitting behind a sleek desk. He was handsome with short-cropped hair. Then Josef noticed the mean-looking .45 semi-automatic that the man had pointed directly at him.

Whitley spoke in a dangerous tone, "Stay still, vampire or I'll blow your head off."

TBC

_**Oops, don't think Josef expected that. Guess Sarah's father spilled the beans. Next, How will Josef deal with the nephew and how is Ben coping…**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Thank you for all your encouragement, you guys rock! Now we'll see if Josef can talk himself out of trouble, and a glimpse of our other vamps. **_

Chapter 10

Josef stood still, watching Whitley pointing the gun at him. The man had hard eyes and his hand didn't waiver as the held the pistol.

"I was a sniper in Desert Storm, so don't think you can try anything. I can blow your head off from here."

Josef maintained a relaxed stance and kept his hands slightly raised. "Look, I'm just here to talk—"

"Why talk?" The man said, determination radiating from him. "You're a vampire; you killed my cousin Sarah and destroyed her father. Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you right now?"

In the blink of an eye, Josef was across the desk, grabbing Whitley's wrist and wrenching the gun from his hand before he could fire. Josef backed up, now pointing the gun at Whitley, was open-mouthed at the suddenness of the move.

"I guess your uncle didn't mention how fast vampires are." Josef snarked. He quickly stripped out the ammo clip, putting it in his pocket then cycled the slide mechanism, ejecting the cartridge and leaving the gun empty. He put it on Whitley's desk. "If I'd come here to kill you, you'd already be dead."

Whitley took a breath and Josef was impressed at the man's calm attitude. "What do you want?"

"That's what you should have asked when I came in." Josef sat down across from Whitley, observing him narrowly. "I wanted to see if your great-uncle passed on any information about vampires. Obviously he did."

Whitley sneered. "Yes, he did. A few years ago he found out about you when he read Sarah's diary. He figured out you killed her when she disappeared."

Josef sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "She's not really dead."

"WHAT?" Whitley started out of chair, then sat back as Josef gestured at him to sit down. Whitley looked at him with uncertainty.

"I tried to turn her. Into a vampire."

Whitley's face darkened in anger. "_You bastard!"_

Josef looked him in the eye. "Yes. She begged me for months. I told her it was dangerous but she didn't care. She wanted to be with me, and I—I was weak. I tried and she never woke up."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like she's in a coma." Josef got up and started to pace as he usually did when he was upset. "She hasn't aged, she just lies there unconscious and has been for over fifty years."

Whitley frowned furiously. "Where? Where is she?"

"I have a house here in New York where she's been since that night. I keep hoping …..one day she'll wake up."

Now Whitley stood up to face Josef. "What can be done to help her?"

"I've had everyone I can think of to see her over the last years. They've all told me the same thing; sometimes when a human is turned, it doesn't take and there's nothing to be done."

Whitley was a former Marine and used to judging people. He could tell that Josef was telling the truth and was clearly upset at Sarah's situation. He sat back down behind his desk. "I want to see her." He stated.

Josef looked at him in dismay.

"She's my only living relative." Whitley continued. "My wife and I are divorced and we never had children. My father died when I was twenty, and Uncle John took care of me until I went into the Marines and sent me to college afterwards. Sarah was gone by then and he talked about her often." Whitley sat back, considering. "I guess that's why Aunt Marie never seemed too upset about Sarah. She had Sarah's diary and figured Sarah went off with you, living as a vampire. Uncle John didn't know about it all until Aunt Marie died and he found the diary."

Josef grimaced. "Then he tried to have me killed."

Whitley's eyebrows shot up.

"Yes, he sent an assassin once he found me. The attempt failed, and after that he sunk into dementia."

"Why are you here?" Whitley asked, leaning forward, his body language guarded.

"Since your uncle died, I wanted to make sure no knowledge of my existence was passed on to his heirs." Josef allowed himself a smirk. "I guess I was wrong."

Whitley frowned. "Why does it matter?"

Josef sat back down. "Mr. Whitley, the existence of vampires has been a closely held secret for thousands of years. Some humans know about us but don't tell. Yes, we drink blood from willing donors or blood banks. We do this to survive. Can you imagine the damage that could be done if our existence was generally known? For the most part we co-exist peacefully with humans and don't threaten anyone. If we were known to be real, humans would be afraid and try to hunt us down. We would respond in kind and it would be a bloodbath of historical proportions."

Whitley absorbed this for a moment. "Thousands of years?"

"Of course." Josef smiled wickedly. "Do you think Dracula was just a work of fiction?"

"So what do you want from me?"

Josef relaxed a bit, seeing that Whitley seemed to be open to negotiation. He was Sarah's only relation and he didn't really want to have to kill him. "Just forget about vampires and our existence. I give you my word that no vampire will bother you again."

Whitley sat back in his chair, regarding Josef thoughtfully. "I can see your point. No one would believe me anyway. But I still want to see Sarah."

Josef glared. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Whitley's face took on a determined look. "I want to see her. She's my only family." Then he saddened. "I need to say goodbye."

Josef felt the man's sorrow wash over him. He realized that he wasn't the only person mourning Sarah. "All right. Tomorrow night at eight. I'll pick you up in front of the building here."

Whitley said suspiciously, "How do I know it's not a trap to kill me?"

"Once again, I could kill you right now if I wanted. I will take you to see Sarah, as I said." Josef would make sure Whitley didn't know the Waverly Place address, however.

"Fine." Whitley and Josef stood.

Josef nodded and said, "Tomorrow night be in front of this building." He turned and left quickly, making his way to the street. The concierge called his limo, and Josef was glad to get in and avoid the late-afternoon sun. He helped himself to a glass of blood and scotch, sipping as he got out his phone.

"Shit." He exclaimed in surprise. There were several messages from Simone, some from the Cleaner and a few from Mick. _What the hell is going on at home?_ He thought as he started to dial.

xxxxxxxxx

"I'm sorry, my friends, but your safety is most important to me. You are doing me such a service I cannot allow you to endanger yourselves." The Comte de Valbonne crooned into the telephone. "I will send your travel information to your hotel by tomorrow and contact you once you are there. Then we will regroup and plan. Goodbye."

The Comte hung up and grinned sardonically. The humans were such fools. They still thought he was a bereft man, searching for the vampires that killed his so-called family. They were so stupid that one of their number was killed outside that hotel in Manhattan. Valbonne, alias Jochi Khan was a strategist. As the son of the great Genghis, he learned tactics at his father's knee and more during his years as a vampire. It was not a good move to fight on two fronts, so he was moving his battle to the West Coast. The fiasco the humans caused led the New York vamps to realize there were hunters in their city and his main objective was to take out the Elders and Council members. That seemed to be impossible for now so he would go further afield.

Valbonne not only had humans hunting vampires, but also a large band of vampire mercenaries under his control. He would settle the humans in a hotel, but his vampire contingents were already in several different safe houses around Los Angeles.

The vampires in LA were working in small terrorist cells and didn't contact him that often. Valbonne had given them lists of the vampires he wanted killed and left them to it. Now that he was going to LA, he would meet with the vampires and determine their progress. Valbonne thought, _at least they weren't as stupid as the humans ….._

xxxxxxxxxxx

The quiet of the freezer room was shattered by Mick's cell phone. He'd had it in a hanging in a pouch outside the freezer within easy reach. Waking instantly from sleep, he recognized Josef's ringtone, Pink Floyd's 'Money.' He reached across Beth, cracking open the lid and grabbing the phone. Beth came awake and stayed still while Mick answered.

"Josef?"

"Yeah, Mick. Sorry if I woke you." Josef's glum tone was unusual for the snarky vampire. "I just heard about Talbot. Are you guys all right?"

"Sure, Josef." Mick lay back down and Beth put her arm over his chest.

"Simone told me about it and that the Cleaners have the vamps that did it. I didn't want to bother Bella. She gets cranky when she's disturbed." Josef said, a ghost of his usual humor coming through.

Mick launched into his story. "We went over there and the vamps were still unconscious, still healing. Bella said she'd let us know when they woke up. I think they'll be happy to talk once she gets done with them."

Now Josef chuckled. "I can imagine. Simone told me that everyone is at the house. Are you two okay?"

"You know I upgraded the security at the loft last year after that Shepard broke in. We're good here. What about you? Are you on your way home?"

Mick heard Josef sigh. "No, I have to stay a day or two more."

"Any problems?" Mick frowned.

"I went to see Sarah's cousin, Robert Whitley. Old Whitley filled him in on vampires, and Robert tried to blast me in his office."

"What happened?" Beth said, loudly enough for Josef to hear.

"Hey, Beth." Josef smiled. "No worries, I took care of it."

"Josef, you didn't ….."

"Now, Mick, I told you I wouldn't harm him, and I didn't." Josef became grave again. "I had to tell him about Sarah. He wants to see her."

"Oh." Mick frowned. "Is that a good idea?"

In New York, Josef ran a hand through his hair. "Of course it's not a good idea, but I couldn't put him off. He agreed to forget about vampires if he can see Sarah and I agreed not to kill him."

Mick glanced at Beth, who looked worried. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Um-hum." Josef was getting tired from the day and needed his own freezer time. He changed the subject. "I heard from Simone that Talbot woke up and seemed to be adjusting. Did they tell you?"

Beth sighed in relief, and Mick answered. "No, we haven't talked to anyone in the last few hours. From what Simone said it was touch and go for a while."

"Yeah, it might take him a while to get back on his feet."

"Josef," Beth said, "what will happen with Ben? Can he stay on in LA? Can we work out something with his job? He can't go back to work on Monday like nothing's happened."

"I know, Blondie. Let me get things straightened out here and we should be able to fix things. An accident or something to keep him out of the public eye." Josef sounded tired again.

"Sorry this was dumped on you, pal." Mick commented.

"Hey, all in a days, or more precisely, a night's work." Josef smirked. "I'm going to hit the freeze for a while guys. I'll let Simone know when I'm on my way back. We also need to look into those strange vamps that Guillermo was talking about."

"I'm working on it, Josef." Beth responded.

"We'll see you in a couple of days, buddy." Mick heard Josef hang up and put the phone back in its pouch. He scooted back next to Beth, pulling over him. "Josef sounded stressed." She commented.

Mick sighed, his cold breath mingling with the fog in the freezer. "I always forget how much he has to deal with as the Elder."

"Hmmm. I'm sure having to deal with Sarah's relative isn't helping. I want to check on Ben tonight. I know we can't help with much with him, but we could try to find out about those new vamps in town."

He had been sliding back into oblivion, but Beth's remark woke him up again. "What do you have in mind?" He asked warily.

Beth smiled into his chest and tightened her arms around him. "Oh, you know, we can hit the clubs and see if any suspicious strangers are around."

"I'm glad you said 'we' sweetheart." Mick held her possessively.

"Of course."

"All right. Sleep now." Mick closed his eyes, knowing that he'd have to watch out for his fiancée. Once she had an idea, she really _was _a trouble magnet.

xxxxxxxxx

Ben woke suddenly, trying to take in his surroundings. He saw he was in some sort of enclosed area, and it was deliciously cold. It felt good and he stretched slightly then noticed an arm draped across his chest. He knew immediately it was Megan—he could smell her all around him. He felt something shift in his mouth and touched the razor-sharp fangs with his tongue, drawing blood. He moaned, the terrible hunger making him shake.

Megan woke and immediately knew what was happening. She bit her wrist and Ben licked at the blood. It was only to calm him; her blood had no nutrition for a vampire. When her wrist had healed again she said, "Ben, we have to get you something else." She pushed up the freezer lid and Ben saw he'd been in a freezer like the one Megan had in her condo. He glanced around, more aware of his surroundings.

"Where are we?"

"We're at Josef's in one of his guest rooms." Megan handed him a terry-cloth robe and shrugged into her own as she reached into the small refrigerator and retrieved a couple of bottles of blood. It was freshly donated and she knew it would be better for her fledgling. "Here, drink this."

He tied the robe and took the bottle from her gingerly, knowing it was blood. The top was off, and once he smelled it, he couldn't help himself. He took a couple of gulps and Megan watched him drink. "Slow down if you can Ben." She said softly. He slowed to sipping and didn't drain the container.

Sated, he put down the bottle and looked at Megan. She seemed more beautiful, her skin luminous and her eyes were the grey-green of the sea. He held out his hands in front of him and turned them over in wonder. "I'm really a vampire…"

Megan took his hands in hers and said, "Yes, Ben. I hope you can forgive me, I just couldn't lose you." His emotions were in flux and she couldn't read him.

He squeezed her hands, unaware of his new strength, but Megan wasn't about to complain at the pain. "I do forgive you, it's just I wasn't expecting this. I hadn't really thought about it. I feel lost and out of control and I don't know what to do."

Hearing his words, Megan gave him a brilliant smile_. He forgave her._ "It's all right; I'll help you with everything. You'll always have me and Ewan. We're your family now."

He brought Megan's hands to his lips, kissing them. Her scent was doing things to him and he felt the need to touch her and he moved closer, taking her in his arms. Megan recognized the lust in his eyes and smiled seductively. Oh yes, this would be most enjoyable training for her fledgling.

"Come, love." She led him to the duvet-covered bed at the other end of the room. "Time for your first lesson."

TBC

_**It looks like Ben will be all right, but what will happen when the vamp and human hunters descend on LA? As always, thank you for reading!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Thanks to all of you who have read, reviewed or favorited this story—you are appreciated! Josef is introducing Sarah to her only relative, and Beth tries to get in trouble (again). Enjoy~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **_

Chapter 11

Josef paced in the sitting room at 301 Waverly Place. It was late afternoon and he was supposed to pick up Robert Whitley in a few hours to visit Sarah. With all that was going on in Los Angeles he was sorely tempted to call it off and fly home, but he didn't want to leave any loose ends that would cause trouble. Whitley seemed like a reasonable man, and Josef didn't feel any deception from him. Still, Josef was uncomfortable letting him see Sarah. The only people that had visited her since her failed turning were the medical people and Mick and Beth.

Now he had the mess of Ben Talbot's turning as well as vampire assassins in LA. He scrubbed his hand through his hair, ruining the expensive hairstyle. He wished Mick were here. He and Mick often argued, but managed to come to agreement about most issues and they watched each other's back. Right now Mick's unhealthy tendency to mix with humans would come in handy dealing with Robert Whitley.

Josef had spoken to Simone earlier and confirmed that Ben was transitioning well. Ewan and Megan thought he might need more time to adjust to his new life but Ben was worried he might have to drop his career altogether. Josef smirked to himself that they had underestimated Simone's cleverness. She acted immediately, getting the paperwork from a cooperative doctor that showed Ben had come down with a debilitating virus and needed three months medical leave. Megan felt that three months would allow Ben to become able to function in the human world. This eased Ben's mind considerably and Simone told Josef that as soon as they could get a double-wide freezer installed at Megan's condo, the couple would be moving back there.

Josef was proud of Simone taking charge while he was gone. Then he frowned, his thoughts taking a different turn. Who were the vamps that attacked Megan and what did they want? He'd waited to talk to Bella, hoping the cleaner would call him with information. It was getting later and he'd still not heard from her. He flipped open his phone and dialed the number.

"_Name and location."_

"This is Kostan. I need to speak to Bella."

"_Just a moment_." The line went silent, then a woman's voice responded. "_Yes, Josef?"_

"What's going on with the assassins? Do we know who hired the bastards?"

"_We tried to find out but unfortunately, my guys got too enthusiastic and now both of the prisoners need more healing time before I can question them again." _

"Shit." Josef spat out. "We need to find out what we're up against."

Bella sighed. "_I know. As soon as I can I'll question them myself. When are you coming home?"_

"I'll try to leave later tonight. Plan on meeting at your headquarters tomorrow night at 7 pm."

"_Fine."_ Bella responded. _"Maybe we'll have more info by that time.__ We've got all our staff on street patrols, notified the vamp hotels and blood suppliers to be on the lookout for any stranger or human hunters." _

"All right. Thanks for taking care of things." Josef knew Bella took her responsibilities seriously and always respected his authority as Elder. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Josef rang off and checked the time. He should start for Whitley's office. The vampire security guard would be driving the limo. He'd had one on staff at the townhouse since John Whitley's assassin tried to kill him right in Sarah's bedroom.

During the ride over, Josef saw with satisfaction that the blackout blinds had been rigged inside the limo, preventing the occupants from seeing out. Josef had no intention of Whitley knowing where Sarah was. They could pull the car into an underground garage at the back of Waverly place and enter through the basement.

Right on time, Robert Whitley was outside his office building. He climbed into the limo, greeting Josef briefly.

"Where are we going?" He asked, noting the curtains in the car.

"To see Sarah, as you requested. It doesn't mean you need to know where she is." Josef said, daring Whitley to challenge him.

Whitley nodded his face hard. "I understand." They rode in silence until the car jolted to a stop. The security guard had been driving and opened the door for them to exit.

Josef led Whitley upstairs to a bright room. In the middle was a bed swathed in white. Josef turned to Whitley, his voice softer. "This is your cousin Sarah."

Whitley edged closer to the bed and gasped. "She's—she's young." He said in amazement.

"She looks the same as when I tried to turn her more than fifty years ago."

Whitley stared at the chestnut-haired woman for a minute more before turning to Josef. "And she's been this way ever since?"

Josef nodded somberly, his eyes on Sarah.

Whitley scowled. "If nothing can be done, why keep her like this?"

Josef returned the frown. "She might wake up, or there could be something medicine hasn't discovered yet."

"Do you really think that's going to happen after all these years? You don't even know what went wrong in the first place."

Josef reigned in his anger at the human who dared question him. He'd had to live with the guilt of a failed turning and taking care of Sarah for longer than Whitley had been alive. "She's my responsibility."

Whitley turned back to Sarah. "Do you think she'd want to lie here like this for so many years? If she hasn't gotten better after fifty years, she's probably not going to."

Josef growled and moved to the other side of Sarah's bed, glaring at Whitley. He knew it was a mistake to bring the human here. "You know nothing about it."

"I know you're a selfish bastard to keep her in limbo like this. If you took out all the tubes and things, she'd pass in peace. You're only keeping her here because you feel guilty."

"Enough!" Josef eyes silvered and his fangs were evident in his anger. "You have nothing to say on the matter. You asked to see Sarah, and you have. As I promised, you will never be bothered by vampires as long as you keep our secret."

Whitley nodded but wasn't intimidated, his eyes straying to Sarah again.

"I'll have you driven back to your office. Please don't try to find out where this house is located." Josef said in a hard tone.

"I understand." Whitley responded in kind. He turned and walked out. The nurse was waiting outside with the driver and Whitley returned downstairs to the waiting limo.

When they were alone, Josef sat on Sarah's bed, taking her cold hand in his. "Sarah, I'm so sorry." He felt the familiar shame; regret and despair wash over him. Was Whitley right? Was he only keeping Sarah partially alive out of a sense of hopeless guilt? Should he let her go? Josef shook his head and tried to refocus. He had too many problems in Los Angeles to be bogged down with these emotional thoughts just now. He needed to be sharp and objective or others could die.

He gave Sarah's unresponsive hand a final squeeze and stood up, straightening his suit. With a last look at Sarah, he walked out of the room, closing the door. He had a plane to catch.

xxxxxxxxxx

It was a roaring night at the Blue Moon club, which was exclusively populated by vampires. There was a 1940's swing band playing Glenn Miller and Bennie Goodman tunes as well as more recent music. Since most of the vampires there had been around then, the crowd loved it. In a secluded corner, Mick St. John sat with his fiancée Beth Turner, observing the room.

Beth turned to Mick. "I feel bad that we're here while Megan is dealing with Ben."

"He's fine, sweetheart. Ewan, Megan and Simone are there, and you know Hale loves supervising everything."

"I know. It's just there's so much to worry about….."

Mick squeezed Beth's hand. "We'll get it figured out. We can go over later. With the medical leave set up for Ben there shouldn't be too many questions."

"I hope not." Beth sighed.

"He'll be fine. Let's check out the club here and see if there are any new vamps in town."

Beth nodded and turned her attention on the dimly-lit room. Since it was private it eliminated tourists and random humans from entering. They nursed their blood and scotch drinks and pretended to be focused on each other while they scanned the club patrons.

"What about those guys?" Beth asked softly, indicating a group of well-built vampires on the far side of the room

"I don't know—could be." Mick replied.

"Hmm. There's only one way to find out." Beth stood in her slinky red dress and matching heels. She took off her engagement ring and put it carefully in her evening bag.

Mick scowled. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to see what those guys are up to." Before Mick could object, Beth sashayed away, hips swaying. It looked like she was randomly wandering, but she was making her way to the group of vampires she spotted earlier. Mick continued to scowl and moved toward the bar pretending to watch the band while he watched Beth.

The vampires were having drinks but didn't look drunk on either the blood or alcohol. Beth noticed they appeared to be in their twenties and thirties and were well-muscled. Beth weaved into one of the men as she passed the table.

"Oh," she said, giggling. "I'm so sorry."

"No harm, mademoiselle." The blond had on a leather jacket which did nothing to hide his buff chest and abs. She smiled seductively at the vamp and fluttered her eyelashes a bit. The vamp's eyes brightened and he leaned toward her. _I can't believe they're going for this_, she thought.

Another vamp at the table said with a thick accent, "Please ma'amselle, sit and join us, yes?" She giggled again and sat on the offered chair. The three men appeared to be older than Mick but not as old as Josef, Beth scented.

The first vamp said, "You seem young to be out without your sire." He seemed to be the head of the group and spoke English with just a trace of a French accent.

"Oh, he's over there talking business." She waved her hand toward the other side of the room. "He's always too busy for me." She exclaimed with a pout.

"A very foolish vampire." The blonde said, kissing the back of her hand. He poured her some champagne, offering her the glass. She thought quickly, not wanting to leave her fingerprints on the glass, so she covered the vamp's hand with her own and taking a sip. The erotic gesture wasn't lost on the other men at the table and they gazed at her hungrily.

"Thank you." She said as he put the glass down, tossing back her hair and leaning forward so her cleavage showed to the best effect. She felt Mick's growing temper from where he stood at the bar. "Are you boys new in town? I don't think I've seen you here before."

The blonde replied, "We are here on some business, but always have time for a beautiful lady." He smiled and let his fangs drop a little.

Beth smiled coyly, taking in the other vampires so she could recognize them again. "I hope you'll be in town a while. I get lonely with my sire always so busy." She could hear appreciative growls from the other two vamps, and the blonde said, "We would be happy to keep you company. May I ask your name?"

"Maryanne." She responded. She had used the alias Maryanne Sommers for a story for Buzzwire a few years back and still had the fake ID with the name.

"Ah, such a _charmant_ name. Would you care to accompany us to a more private place?"

Beth couldn't believe these arrogant assholes. They thought she'd just walk out with some strange vampires. Then she smoothed down her temper—after all, she'd been coming on to them and let them think she was little better than a whore.

"Oh, I can't." Beth said with regret in her eyes. "I can't be be seen in a hotel, it would get back to my sire."

"Oh, ma'amselle, one of the other vamps said in his thick accent. We have a maison, um, a house." The blonde vamp frowned at him, making a signal for him to be silent.

Beth took this in, but pretended not to notice the byplay. She smiled seductively at the blonde. "I'd love to see your place, but I don't even know your names." She giggled again.

"Forgive my poor manners. I am Jacques, this is Rene and Luc." The blonde said and they all gave her roguish smiles, fangs showing.

"I'm happy to meet you all. I'm afraid I can't visit you tonight; my sire will be looking for me." She leaned forward again, her cleavage displayed. "Why don't I call you when I can get away?"

Jacques was enjoying the view but was suddenly wary. "Why would your sire let you move so freely?" He asked, suddenly guarded.

Beth sighed and pouted again. "He's always so busy with business. He just wants me to show me off to the other vampires. I was his donor and I thought if he turned me, he would pay more attention to me, but he's just an old fuddy-duddy."

The vampires looked puzzled. "What eez fudeee dudeee?" Luc asked.

Beth threw back her head and laughed throatily. The men were enchanted. "It means old-fashioned. You boys are so much fun. Why don't I call you?"

Jacques was disarmed and definitely wanted to see more of this beautiful American. He couldn't give her his cell number; it was the one he used for business with le Comte. He turned to Rene. "Give Maryanne your cell number, _oui?"_

The vamp nodded, and wrote down the number on a napkin, passing it onto Beth. _"Voila, chéri."_

Beth smiled suggestively and tucked the napkin in her purse. "I look forward to seeing you all again. I must be getting back before my sire misses me." She stood and swished away from the table, giving them a brilliant smile and a wink over her shoulder.

Mick had been watching Beth from the bar and surreptitiously taking pictures of the men with his phone. He looked up sharply when she laughed at something that was said, he almost broke the glass of scotch he was holding in his hand. Mick could hardly keep from rushing over and dragging Beth away from the leering glances of the three vampires at the table.

As she came toward him, she tilted her head, indicating he should follow her to get out of sight of the vampires she just left. Once they were around a corner, Mick took her arm and hustled her out the back door into a dim alley.

"What the hell were you doing, Beth?" He practically snarled at her.

"Recon, and I got names and a phone number." She said triumphantly.

Mick whirled her around into a dark doorway, pressing her into the wall. "Don't do that again." he said growling possessively. He moved against her and his kiss was frenzied. She moaned in his mouth, sliding her arms around his neck. She didn't do it on purpose, but she loved it when Mick got jealous. It brought out his alpha-vampire and always ensured a long and passionate night.

Since they didn't have to breathe, it was some time before they paused. Beth was weak from desire and Mick started nipping her neck. "We need to get home." he stopped suddenly. Beth looked at him with desire in her half-lidded eyes. "Hmmm?"

"I want to get those vamps' scent off you." He dragged her toward the Benz. Beth had no complaints, she always enjoyed a refreshing shower ….

TBC

_**Just can't help getting Mick and Beth in the shower (sigh). Next, what will they find out about the bad guys?**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Y'all knew Beth would get in the middle of trouble, right? Here she is again….**_

Chapter 12

Beth bounced down the stairs of the loft, pulling on an oversized tee shirt, heading for the hidden refrigerator. She fed quickly, her mind on what she'd found out the night before at the club. Her intuition was on high as she thumbed through Mick's phone for the pictures of the vamps she flirted with last night. They didn't say anything suspicious but Beth just knew something wasn't right. She booted up her computer and downloaded the pictures. Maybe Rider or Logan could hack into the police database … no the vamps were foreign; it would have to be Interpol or FBI…

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mick, who came into the office, his pajama bottoms riding low on his hips. If she had breath, it would have caught at how enticing he looked half-naked and mussed from the freezer. It was a good thing she was a vampire she thought smugly, or she wouldn't have survived his onslaught the previous night. He was determined to twist her into pretzels to prove he was the only vampire she needed. She constantly assured him he was, but on occasion she enjoyed a jealous sire.

"Morning, handsome." Beth said, eyeing him appreciatively.

He gave her a slow smile, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. His suppressed his thoughts about the night before or he would grab her and carry her back upstairs. Now he tried to look stern as he held out his hand to her. "Forget something?"

She looked into Mick's palm and saw her engagement ring. She quickly took it and put it back on her finger. "Guess I forgot it last night. Someone distracted me."

He came closer and ran his hands up her bare arms. "You were pretty distracting yourself, gorgeous."

She insinuated her hip between his thighs. Mick groaned, "If you keep this up we won't leave the apartment tonight."

"Sounds nice." she murmured into his chest. Then she remembered the pictures and all the computer work she had to do and reluctantly pulled away from him. "You're right. Why don't you go feed and we can figure out what we can do to ID these vamps."

Mick smirked and turned to the kitchen knowing Beth was still watching him_. It's a good thing I'm already dead or that woman would kill me._ He downed a glass and heard his phone ring in the office and headed back, but Beth answered it before he could reach it.

"Hi, Josef." Beth glanced at Mick and saw he knew it was his friend on the line.

"Hey, Blondie. I'm on the plane on my way back." Josef sounded tired. She handed the phone to Mick.

"Is everything okay?" He asked. "How did it go with Whitley?"

"Fine." Josef responded shortly. "What's the news there?"

"We haven't talked with anyone at the house, but we did check out the club last night—"

"Anything going on?" Josef asked. He knew Mick wouldn't mention a night on the town without a reason.

"I dunno. We saw some strange vamps and Beth talked to them. They seemed to be French, but that doesn't mean anything unless they're connected with the Duvalls."

"Hmm." Josef's voice came back. "We'll have to see what we find out from the two that Bella has. She's gotten some information from them, so I want to meet at 7 pm at the Cleaners. Can you be there?"

"Yeah, we'll see you there."

"Right. I'll see you in a few hours."

Mick put down the phone and looked worried. "I hope Bella got some info out of those vamps so we know what we're dealing with."

Beth nodded. "I'm going to get cleaned up and we can head over to the Cleaners. C'mon, handsome, help me pick out something to wear ….."

Mick grinned wolfishly. "Glad to help." He responded as he headed up the stairs after Beth.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Ben, be careful!" Megan cautioned. Ben Talbot smirked as he put down a heavy weight he'd been toying with. He and Megan were in the gym at Josef Kostan's house, which was normally used by the freshies. Vampires had no need to work out; they had natural strength and agility without trying. It had been five days since Ben's turning and he was adjusting well, but was starting to get cabin fever and wanted to leave the room they shared. Megan couldn't take him near humans yet, so they had to stay in the house well away from the freshie wing.

Ben sat on the lat machine, pulling down the bar as if it were nothing. "This is great!" He exclaimed. Ben had always been fit, but now he felt indestructible—healthy and strong. He still tired easily but Megan assured him this would pass as his body became acclimated to vampirism. This evening he was feeling better than he could remember and he hoped it would last. He was relieved he was able to take sick leave from work without any questions. It was one less thing to worry about while he was adjusting to being a vampire. His feelings for Megan had deepened more than he thought possible. His reverie was interrupted when Megan came over to him. "Don't break the machines, Ben. Josef won't be happy if the girls' equipment is out of order."

Just then the weights on the lat machine clanked down hard. Ben looked a little shamefaced. "Okay. I guess you're right." He glanced through the window into the darkness outside. "I'd really like to stretch my legs. How about a walk?"

Megan was a little hesitant, but didn't want to be an overprotective sire. After all, the humans were sequestered and there were vampire guards on the grounds. She smiled and took his hand. "Sure, why not?"

They made their way through the kitchen when they saw Ewan coming down the hall. Both Megan and Ben felt the concern coming off him. "Ewan, what's wrong?" Megan asked.

"I had a call from Josef. He's just landed and wants us to meet at the Cleaners. They've been able to get information from the vamps that attacked you." Ewan looked at Ben. "Are you up for this?"

"Of course."

Megan asked, "When do we leave?"

"In about half an hour." Ewan responded.

"Good, that will give us time to change. I'll let Simone know we're leaving."

"Josef already talked to her. She's still at the office and he'd rather she stayed there—it's safer."

Ben and Megan quickly changed their workout clothes and were ready when James brought the SUV around. He drove quickly to the Cleaners headquarters. Ben was still taking in the sounds and smells of his enhanced senses. His emotions were settling down and he was starting to feel more in control. He was interested to see more of the mysterious Cleaners.

The four vampires were buzzed in the secure door and followed a vampire to a large meeting room. Megan held Ben's hand ready to help if he became overwhelmed. Bella was already in the room, along with Mick and Beth. When Beth saw Ben, she got up from her computer and gave him a hug. "How are you?" She smiled encouragingly.

"I'm better, I think. It's a lot to take in."

"Well, you can call me anytime if you want to talk. I imagine I'm the youngest here besides you. It gets easier, especially with a good sire." Beth glanced at Megan and gave her a wink.

Bella made a little noise and came over to Ben. She was never one for social niceties, but she could take a moment since they were still waiting for Josef. She put her hand out. "Welcome to the community, Ben."

Ben shook her hand, looking at the imposing woman clad in black leather. "Uh, thank you."

Her duty done, she went back over to her place at the conference table as Josef walked in. He looked tired and rumpled, which was unusual for the impeccable vamp. He took in the room and nodded hello to everyone. They sat down, with James taking a position behind his boss.

Bella started, "We were able to get information from the two vampires." She glanced at Josef. "I had to give them immunity and promised safe passage out of the region in exchange for their cooperation." The other vamps in the room reacted with anger and Josef started to speak as Bella put up her hand for silence. "They were prepared to die before they would talk. It was the only way we could get them to cooperate. I presumed it would be better to have the information rather than torture them and get nothing. However," she looked at Josef again, "if they ever come back to the southwest, all bets are off." Josef growled but let Bella continued.

"I found out they were hired in Paris by a Count Valbonne, a vampire. They said this count was hiring quite a few mercs to come to America for an extended time. I had my IT guy find a picture in one of the French newspapers." She handed out the photo to the group.

Mick frowned. To him, France meant the Duvalls. Were they mixed up in this? Beth studied the photograph but had never seen the vamp before.

Megan looked at Ben. "Is that—?"

Ben leaned closer and a growl escaped, surprising him. "Yes."

"This is the man who came to take Lola away the night she attacked us at Ben's office." Megan announced.

"That's Lola's sire?" Mick asked.

Josef confirmed the answer, his eyes narrowed. "It's Khan, and he is Lola's sire. He's Jochi Khan, son of Genghis and a very dangerous vampire. He has childer all over the world in high places in politics or business. He's mostly stayed in Europe or Asia." Josef looked grave. "It looks like he's expanding to America."

"Do you think that Lola's attempt on us was part of this?" Megan asked.

Josef shook his head. "I don't know but if he has mercs here, he has something planned."

"What else did these vamps say?" Mick asked.

Bella shrugged. "They were provided with money, papers and a place to live. They had a number to call the count, but it's untraceable. They said they were in small groups of two or three and had no contact with the other vamps. Each group was given a list of names and locations to kill the prominent vampires in LA."

Beth frowned. The three vampires she met last night seemed to be from France by their accents and they said they lived in a house. She tried to track the phone number they had given her but it was also an untraceable disposable phone. She had downloaded their pictures from Mick's cellphone and now pulled them up. She told the group, "We went to Blue Moon last night and I talked with three vamps that seemed to be from France. They said they lived in a house and were here on business. Mick got their pictures and I got a phone number."

"How did you manage that, Blondie?" Josef asked, amused.

Mick made a face, but Beth said airily, "By great detective abilities."

Mick harrumphed and Beth added, "A low-cut dress and acting blonde didn't hurt."

The group snickered and eased the tension a bit. Beth continued, "I checked the number but it's not traceable."

"Damn." Josef swore. "I suppose we don't know if the vamps Beth saw are in league with this Valbonne."

"There's only one way to find out." Beth said determinedly.

Mick frowned again, knowing what she was going to suggest. "No, Beth."

She ignored him and said. "These guys said they have a house and invited me over. They think my sire is too wrapped up in business and doesn't care what I do." She glanced at Mick's mutinous expression. "I'll get in there and plant a bug or maybe even a small camera. We can find out if they're dangerous."

Bella tapped a crimson fingernail against her equally red lips. "It could work."

"Absolutely not!" Mick burst out. "It's too dangerous."

Josef leaned forward. "Wait, Mick. If Beth can plant a bug in their house, we can hear what's going on with her. Once she plants it, you can call her and she can make an excuse to get out of there. We can be close by, as long as we stay far enough away from the house so they can't detect us."

"See?" Beth said, smiling widely. "I can do this and be safe."

"I don't like it." Mick continued stubbornly.

"C'mon, Mick. We'll be right there in case Beth needs back up." Josef soothed.

Beth's brows drew together and she crossed her arms. "Really. You act like I've never gone undercover before."

Finally, Mick held up hands in surrender. "All right."

"I also want to have a bug and camera planted in the house where our two vamps were staying. Someone will eventually come looking for them and I want to know who." Josef declared.

Bella nodded. "I'll have one of my guys in and out quickly so his scent won't last long."

They continued to talk about Beth's foray into the vamp house, planning code words she should use and what contingencies they would have in place for her safety. Mick wasn't happy, but he could see it was the only way. He hoped they were wrong and the vamps Beth met at the club were innocent, but his gut told him otherwise.

Ben listened with interest, wishing he could take an active role. His energy was starting to flag and he admitted to himself he wasn't up to anything strenuous yet. Megan noticed his fatigue and said, "I think we'll get back. We're both pretty tired."

Josef nodded. "I'll be picking Simone up then we'll be home. Do you think it's time to have Ben be around humans?"

Ben looked surprised, but hoped Megan would agree. He really wanted to get back to a regular routine, although he didn't want to hurt anyone by pushing too soon.

"Possibly." Megan said. "We could try tomorrow night, if you feel up to it." She looked at Ben, who nodded.

"I won't know until I try."

"You'll be fine, Ben." Beth said encouragingly.

"All right, we'll wrap this up. Mick, Beth and Josef be here tomorrow at 9 pm and we'll see if Beth can get set up to see these guys." Bella directed.

Beth's eyes were shining. It was her first undercover since Buzzwire and she was looking forward to it. She glanced at Mick and saw he was still grumpy. Oh, well. She knew how to put him in a better mood. She took his arm. "Let's get home, sweetie."

Mick continued to look sulky. Then he thought about it—it would be good to have an attentive Beth for the rest of the night. He smiled at her and they headed for the car.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was the new moon and darkness prevailed in the night sky. The Comte de Valbonne watched the stars from the terrace of his rented home in the upscale neighborhood in Los Angeles. The house was large and had once belonged to a member of a boy-band who had gone bankrupt. The Comte had arrived the night before and slept off the jet-lag in his freezer. He contemplated his next move with the human hunters he'd brought out from New York.

He was going to have the humans patrol the streets and take note of where there were concentrations of vampires. They could take pictures, but no direct attacks. The fiasco in New York convinced Valbonne the human hunters were too sloppy to make clean kills of vampires. Still, they had their uses, and then Valbonne would get rid of them before he made his final attack on Kostan.

Valbonne returned to the lounge, seating himself before the fire with a cigar and brandy. He was looking forward to Los Angeles becoming his.

TBC

_**The bad guy is in LA, and Beth is on the hunt. Will she be successful? Thanks again for reading! **_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Here's our Beth jumping in again ….. hope you enjoy!**_

Chapter 13

The repeated clicking was driving him mad. Jacques looked over at Rene and asked, "How many times will you take that apart and put it back?" The other vampire shrugged in Gallic fashion and continued stripping the hand gun.

Jacques stood up and went to the kitchen for a drink of alcohol this time. The three mercenary vampires were lodged in a modest house in West Hollywood with orders to kill well-known vampires in LA. They were professionals and would take their time stalking their prey so they could make a clean kill and get away. So far, they had staked out some office buildings and homes, trying to get the schedules for the vamps they wanted to execute. Jacques always found it was better to take a little longer to plan than rush in and not know all the angles.

It didn't stop him from being bored, however. They had gone on a recon drive earlier and all of their subjects seemed to be staying home. He took a long drink from the brandy he'd poured. The other vampires, Rene and Luc were trying to keep busy, Rene with disassembling his firearm and Luc studying maps of LA on his computer. At least the house the Comte provided was better than that _crasseux_ hole where he was staying in Paris. He liked the weather better here, too. The three had gone to one of the clubs the other night and had a good time with the local freshies. Unfortunately, they couldn't do that frequently, they didn't want to be noticed by anyone.

From the other side of the room, Luc's cell phone started to ring. Jacques looked over with concern. _Who would be calling?_ He told Luc to answer.

"_Hello?_" It was a woman's voice.

"_Oui?_ Yes, I mean 'allo." Luc sputtered.

"_Hi, it's Maryanne. You know, from the club? We met the other night._" Beth gushed in full blonde mode.

Jacques heard the conversation and was quick to grab the phone from Luc. "Good evening, Maryanne."

"_Is that Jacques? Hi, how are you?"_

"I am well."

"_Oh, good."_ Beth giggled_. "I was wondering if you guys would like some company tonight. My sire is at a meeting and I thought maybe I could come over."_

Jacques wasn't sure, but Luc and Rene overheard and were nodding vigorously. He thought, _it wouldn't do any harm._

"Fine, let me give you our address."

On the other end, Beth was smiling widely as she wrote down the address off Santa Monica Boulevard. _"That's fine. I'll be there in half an hour. I'll see you then."_ She said breathily.

She hung up and did a little victory hop. Josef was amused but Mick was still worried. They were at Josef's office and they had gone over their plan again. Beth was taking a rental car so her plates couldn't be traced. She had the false ID with her in case the vamps decided to sneak into her purse. Beth's dress was more modest than she wore to the club, sleeveless with a fuller skirt. In the skirt were hidden pockets where she had the electronic bug concealed. She also had a GPS locator in case she was able to tag their car. The plan was for her to plant the bug and then as Josef and Rider listened, use the code words so they could call and get her out. Mick and James would be stationed outside the house, far enough away that the other vampires wouldn't detect them. Josef would be in constant contact with Mick to let him know if Beth needed help.

Mick held her tightly before she got into the car, kissing her. "Be careful, Beth." His eyes said all he couldn't and he knew she understood.

"I will. I'll always come back to you."

She got in the car, knowing Mick and James would be trailing a few blocks behind her. She spent the time driving working herself into the role of a bimbo trophy vampire the Frenchmen were expecting. She knew they could feel her emotions, so she masked her nerves and put on an exuberant expression, refusing to think she might be going into a nest of killers. After finding the address, she pulled into the driveway behind an ordinary sedan. As she walked by the other car, she dropped her handbag. Bending over, she quickly stuck the magnetic GPS device under the wheel well, and then stood, brushing off her purse.

Beth knocked on the door, and it was swiftly opened by Luc.

"Ah, mademoiselle, it eez _charmant_ to see you." He said with this thick accent. Jacques came over immediately, kissing her hand.

"Please come in, Maryanne." He watched her approvingly, hoping he'd be seeing her in a more intimate setting later.

Beth swished in, tossing her hair and smiling at the three vampires. She looked over the room, which was modestly but comfortably furnished. She was looking for somewhere to plant the bug. "What a cozy place you have here." She commented.

Mick explained the bug was magnetic as well as having adhesive to stick to furniture. He said the best place was under a table in the living area. Beth glanced around the room and saw both the coffee table and end tables were topped with glass. _Damn. She couldn't use those._

"Would you like some blood and champagne?" Jacques asked.

"I'd love some." Beth said warmly. She had spotted a marble planter box on the mantle of the unused fireplace. It looked permanent and was loaded with silk flowers. Even though they were vampires, they were still men and it was doubtful they'd move or even touch a flower arrangement.

Jacques sent Luc and Rene to the kitchen for the drinks, and said to Beth who was standing by the fireplace, "Come sit next to me, cherie."

There was a crash from the kitchen, followed by a sharp curse, _"Merde!"_

Jacques scowled and got up. "_Excusez-moi_." He went into the kitchen and Beth heard a torrent of angry French. She quickly took the bug from her pocket and placed it in the bottom of the planter, making sure the flowers were not disturbed. She trusted it was working and Josef could hear her.

She was sitting on the arm of a chair when the three vamps came out of the kitchen carrying a small carafe of blood along with glasses and a bottle of champagne.

"Here we are." Jacques poured the blood and Luc topped them off with the champagne. He handed her a glass, and she was careful to hold it by the stem. She hoped it would be harder to get fingerprints that way.

"A toast to our beautiful guest."

"Why, thank you. That's so sweet." Beth maintained her giggly persona. They all drank and settled into the chairs.

Now that she'd placed the bug, she had to get out of there. Rene was ogling her in a predatory way. Jacques sat down close to her, his arm over the back of the sofa behind her. Beth gave him an enthusiastic smile. "You have a nice house. Do you have a swimming pool here?" 'Swimming pool' was the code phrase for Josef to call her.

"_Non_, we do not, but there is a nice garden in the back. You would perhaps like to see it, yes?"

"Oh, yes," Beth gushed. "I love to be outside at night, it's—" Just then her phone rang. She frowned, pulling out of her handbag and looked apologetic. "I have to get this, it's my sire." She knew it was Josef, thank goodness.

Jacques stood up, sulking a little.

"Hello?"

"_Muffin, where are you_?" Muffin? She was going to kill him.

"Um, I'm out with Cathy having drinks."

"_Well, get your ass back to the office. The meeting's broken up early and they want to party before they leave." _Josef's voice was gruff and annoyed. He knew the other vamps could hear his side of the conversation.

"Oh," she glanced up at Jacques. "all right, I'll be there soon."

"_Hurry up, I don't like to wait."_ The line went dead. He had to make certain Beth could get out of the house without complications.

She ended the call and stood up distressed. "I'm so sorry, I have to go. He gets upset when I'm not at his beck-and-call." She let a little bitterness seep into her voice.

"Will he not be suspicious if you come to him with our scent on you?" Rene asked, and Jacques eyes narrowed uneasily.

"Oh, when I'm out with Cathy we often dance with other vampires at the clubs. It won't be a problem." She said confidently.

"Hmmm. Who is your sire, Maryanne?" Jacques asked. He hoped he would be on their kill list, then he could claim the beautiful young vampire for himself.

"He's Nicholas Andrews. We just came here from up north. That's why I don't know too many people besides a few vamp girls from the clubs." Josef had arranged the fake name and background story.

Jacques nodded. That vamp wasn't on their list, but maybe he could ask le Comte if he could kill this one. "We are devastated you must leave us so soon." He took Beth's hand and kissed it. "Please allow me to see you to your automobile."

Beth almost blanched. If Jacques walked her outside she was sure he'd try to kiss her and with Mick watching, it could ruin everything. "Thank you, but I really must run." She moved quickly toward the door. "I can't keep Nicky waiting." She blew kisses at Luc and Rene. "It was lovely to see you all. I'll call again when I'm sure I have more time. Bye!" She rushed out the door and zipped into the car, shoving in the keys and almost squealing out of the driveway.

Mick and James ducked down in case the vamps came out of the house. He noted that Beth made a hurried getaway and wondered what caused that. He touched his ear bud. "Josef?"

"_Yeah, Mick?"_

"Beth's out of the house. We're coming back to the office."

"_Fine. Blondie planted the bug and Rider's adjusting the sound quality, but it seems to be working. Now we just have to wait." _

Both Mick and James took out their earpieces and found the car a couple of blocks away. Mick hadn't been able to hear what went on in the house and he wanted to find out if Beth was all right. When they got to Josef's office, Josef was pouring Beth a scotch while Rider was intent on his laptop.

"Ah, Mick. Come celebrate the success of my Muffin here."

Beth rolled her eyes at him. "Thanks, Josef. My nightmare come true—being called Muffin."

Mick came over to her, grabbing her hands and looking her over. "Are you all right?"

She was touched by his concern and snaked her arms around his waist. "I'm fine, Mick. They didn't touch me and the bug got planted just fine." She pulled back a little. "I also tagged their car!"

Josef handed Mick a glass of scotch and said. "Lighten up, Mick. Beth is a natural. I heard everything and it went perfectly. They didn't suspect a thing."

"I hope not." Mick replied.

Josef nodded toward Rider. "We'll be recording everything they say and we'll find out if they're dirty."

"Uh, guys." Rider interrupted and they all looked at him. "Listen to this." He turned up the volume on the computer. There were a few words in French, then a voice said, "_Stop. Speak English. We need to blend in here_."

"_I said we should find out about this Andrews and ask le Comte if we can kill him. Then Maryanne would be available."_

"_Oui. I agree. She would make a nice pet, she is luscious."_

Mick's eyes silvered and he growled when he heard the vampire's comments. Beth started to shake a little, realizing they were actually killers and she'd just been with them. When Mick felt her tremble, he put his arm around her and led her to the sofa.

Josef snarled. "Turn it down, Rider. I guess we found out what we needed to know."

Rider complied, but kept recording to review later. He was glad Josef's ire wasn't directed at him. He'd seen that look on his boss's face before and it usually meant someone would die.

Mick was furious, now knowing Beth had been with such dangerioius vampires and they had designs on her. "At least we know who we're dealing with now." Mick commented grimly.

"Yeah." Josef started to pace. "These guys are part of the mercs Valbonne sent over. Unfortunately, we don't know any of the others, or if there are any more. We just have to wait and see what they do and who they contact."

Beth said, "I wish I could have gotten Jacques phone number, maybe we could trace Valbonne with that."

Josef gave her one of his rare sincere smiles, "You did enough, Blondie. Don't worry we covered your tracks. They wouldn't be able to find you even if they tried.

Beth felt comforted by Mick's presence and Josef's confidence.

"Go home and I don't want to see you here at the office until Monday." Josef continued.

"Okay." Beth was pleased at Josef's praise. She stood up and Mick followed. "Thanks, Josef, a few days off would be great." Beth picked up her handbag and she and Mick started to leave.

"Why don't you use the beach house at Santa Monica?" Josef offered.

"Can you leave your cases for a few days?" Beth asked Mick hopefully.

"There's nothing that can't wait." He responded and she gave him a wide grin.

"Okay, let's pack up and go!"

"Just don't leave wet bathing suits all over the furniture." Josef call after them.

"Who says we'll be using bathing suits?" Mick said as the door closed behind him.

"Good man." Josef smirked to himself.

He left his office searching for Simone. At this hour he knew she was probably still at her desk in the legal department. He pushed open the door and saw her frowning over a document.

"Hey, babe." He said softly.

She looked up with a grin. "Hey, yourself. How did it go?" Simone knew that Beth was going out tonight, but didn't want to intrude or make Beth any more nervous. She knew she'd hear all about it from Josef.

Josef sauntered into the office and sat on the edge of Simone's desk. "It went well. Beth did a great job and got the hell out fast. We heard that these vamps are the ones we're looking for."

Simone sat back, concerned. "Do we know who they're after?"

Josef shook his head. "No, not yet. We'll keep listening and maybe we can catch a break." He could feel the concern and fear coming off Simone and knew she was worried for him.

"Don't worry, doll. It looks like the vamps we caught were the ones sent to get me, and they're out of the picture now." Josef still wanted to kill them but Bella had given her word.

"I just hate that these guys are out there and you're in danger." Simone fretted.

Josef came around the desk and took her in his arms. "I'm planning on being around for a while." He held her, basking in her fragrance and he was grateful he was taking the next step with Simone.

"So, how about finalizing the wedding date?" Josef asked. With all that was going on, Simone was reluctant to set a date, even though most of the planning had been done. "I refuse to let these French bastards ruin our wedding."

She beamed at him. "All right. After all, I don't need to get any older." He knew she was referring to her turning after the wedding.

He could live with that—for as long as possible.

TBC

_**Now they have a better idea who's after the LA crew, but how to find Valbonne? **_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Mick and Beth get to relax, but others don't have such a good time. Hope you enjoy~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Chapter 14

"Come on, Beth." Mick called good-naturedly.

He was standing on the steps of the deck of Josef's house on the beach in Santa Monica. While most of the places there were crowded together, Josef's six-bedroom home was well away from the famous pier, set back from the water and more secluded. Mick was draped only in a towel, and as he promised Josef, there would be no wet swimsuits. He lit the gas fire pit, surrounded by comfortable chairs in the sand below the deck. The fire would allow them to have a reference point to make their way back when they were in the water.

Beth came onto the deck, also naked, holding a towel around her. "Mick, do you think this is okay?" He wanted to swim in the ocean and wouldn't be put off.

"Of course, sweetheart. It's the middle of winter and no one will be around now." He held out his hand and guided her down the steps into the cool sand. Catching his happiness, she allowed him to pull her toward the black water. It was after midnight and she looked back at the mostly dark houses, gaining confidence they wouldn't be seen.

The wind was cold for a human, but just right for vampires as they shed their towels at the edge of the wet sand leading to the surf. Beth hesitated a moment and Mick scooped her up onto his shoulder and ran into the water, dumping her down into the oncoming swell.

"Ah!" Beth sputtered when she was dropped down into the freezing surf. "Not fair," she exclaimed and promptly jumped on Mick, dragging him down with her as a wave slopped over them both.

Mick bounced up, splashing her with a swipe of his arm. When he started to splash her again, she growled and did a short dive under the water. Beth spent a lot of her teen years at the beach, but hadn't been to the ocean in several years. She was amazed at how she could swim without breathing and it was incredibly liberating to be able to stay underwater for extended periods of time. Her vision allowed her to see in the darkness and she swam up to Mick underwater and grabbed his thighs, pulling up to surprise him. They fell sideways into the surf and came up laughing.

Beth moved out into deeper water, making sure there were no riptides. She tread water, chuckling at him as he swam to her with sure strokes. He grabbed her, kissing her as they moved toward the shore. She twined her fingers through Mick's wet locks and licked his neck, tasting the salt water. She nipped at him, drawing a few drops of blood, and then splashed away from him again.

They continued to frolic in the water as a half-moon rose. After a while they made for the shore, using the fire pit as a beacon. Even though the icy water was invigorating, vampires could still get waterlogged. They found their towels and walked quickly toward the house.

They sat around the fire but it didn't cause any discomfort since the wind kept them cool. Beth always enjoyed open fires, even thought they were dangerous to vampires. She also loved the crystal fireplace at the loft, and wondered why Mick had it put in. She supposed he was trying to maintain a bit of his humanity.

"This is nice." She sighed, relaxing. "There's been so much happening, even when we went to New York."

Mick turned on his chaise lounge and said, "I'm sorry our trip was disrupted; I wanted it to be special for you."

Beth beamed back at him, "It was." She waved her hand at him, her ring sparkling in the firelight. Her eyes wandered over his bare chest and she thought how lucky she was to have Mick's love and the forever that went with it.

Her eyes went dark with desire and she said, "Let's have a cool bath to wash off the salt water." She got up, running up the deck steps at vampire speed, Mick close behind her.

xxxxxxxxxx

The crowds around the mall were thinning and Megan watched Ben as they sat in the back of Josef's limousine. She had taken Mick's advice to expose Ben gradually to humans by keeping Ben in the car while people walked around them near one of the busiest shopping malls. She held Ben's hand and kept him focused, telling him to ignore the scent of blood and heartbeats. Ben's fangs descended for a few moments until he got himself under control. He willed himself not to react to the humans and that he had just fed so didn't need their blood. It was odd to think of himself as detached from the milling crowds of people. It didn't sadden or disgust him that he was not human, he had a strong sense of identity and he would make the best of what he was. He knew he could rely on Megan and trusted her.

He could feel her concern and he squeezed her hand. "I think I've got it now." He said. "I just have to treat the scents and sounds as background noise."

Megan smiled at him, relieved and proud. "I knew you'd be fine, Ben. You're doing so well." She had never sired, but had heard horror stories from other vamps about fledglings that were uncontrollable or had even gone feral.

"We'll work on it a little at a time. Once you can go out more, we can move back to my condo."

Ben frowned. "Are you sure you want to go back there, Megan?" He was afraid the memory of the attack would make her fearful of the place.

She could tell what he was thinking and nodded her head. "It's all right. The Cleaners got rid of the carpet and had hardwood flooring put in and most of the furniture is gone now." Megan said. "I was wondering if you'd like to move some of your things there. We need to stay together and my place is set up with the freezer."

Ben hadn't really thought about it, but it made sense and he was relieved that Megan didn't mind him bringing his belongings. "I do have a lot of books and a desk I'd like to have." He responded. " I have a chair and a Persian rug that belonged to my family."

"That would be fine. We'll figure out how to integrate everything. I have an extra room we can set up for your books and make an office."

Ben squeezed her hand, feeling pleased and relieved. "My apartment lease runs out in a few months, that will give us time."

"And we have plenty of time now." Megan said softly.

Ben kissed her hand and let his eyes silver as he looked at her, "Yes we do."

xxxxxxxxxx

The three vampires ranged around the roofs overlooking the Blue Moon night club. This group of mercenaries had been tasked by their boss, Comte de Valbonne to terrorize the general vamp population by hitting clubs and social functions. They'd spent the last few days on the roof of the club, planting firebombs in the ventilating systems, with electronic detonating devices. Since there was a nighttime dance terrace on the roof, the vampires had to work during the bright of day, risking being seen by the humans but they managed. The bombs would spread fire like a flamethrower, causing as much carnage as possible. They waited until a Friday night at 2 am, when the club was most crowded. The other part of the plan was to target the doors of the club and shoot any survivors that tried to get away from the inferno.

Inside the club, Ewan and Sofia were dancing, enjoying each other and the music. Earlier, they had gone to a nice restaurant for dinner, at least for Sofia. She scooped most of Ewan's meal onto her own plate when the server wasn't looking. Ewan always marveled how such a small woman could eat so much yet keep an amazing figure. This was their first night out for a while since Sofia had taken on a good deal of Ben Talbot's work while he was on supposed sick leave. Sofia was happy to help, but was glad a temporary attorney was starting Monday.

Ewan hugged her closer, "Are you tired, love?'

She shook her head. "No, just relaxed. It's been a long week."

Ewan hesitated. He'd had this idea for a while, but didn't want to pressure her. "You know, you don't have to keep working at the DA's office. I could use help with my manuscript and Megan has Council business. You could make your own hours." He knew the long days at the office, even before Ben was gone were tiring.

Sofia looked up at him, slightly surprised. "Oh, but I need to be there, you know . . . just in case."

"I think now that Ben has joined the family, we'll have that covered." Ewan replied, smiling slightly.

They continued to circle the dance floor, and Sofia thought about Ewan' comment. Like Beth, she was frustrated with the clerical aspect of her job and wanted more field work and investigations. "I could think about it, but I'd have to talk to Ben—"

At that moment, there was a flash and explosion, and fire seemed to drop out of the ceiling. Amid screams and confusion, Ewan grabbed Sofia and rolled them under a nearby table. Smoke started to engulf the room and Sofia coughed, trying to breathe. As a vampire, the smoke didn't bother Ewan, but fire could be deadly. There was a huge hiss and water from the overhead sprinkler system poured onto the room's occupants quenching most of the flames. Some vampires headed toward the exit, but were driven back by gunshots. The vampire doorman was sprawled against the front door. Two vampires pulled him back into the room as shots hit the wall near them.

"Someone's shooting! Don't go outside!" The vampire near the door yelled. The lights flickered and the room was plunged into blackness. The humans started to panic but the vampires could see and tried to calm them. Ewan moved from under the table once he saw the fire was mostly out. Both he and Sofia were drenched, but he was concerned about getting her out of the smoky room.

The club manager and the bartender were herding people toward the back of the club. "Follow us, we have a way out." The manager barked over the noise of the water. Ewan picked up Sofia trying to shield her as she coughed from the smoke. They went down a hallway behind the bar and down a dozen stairs until they came to another passage that led to a basement. Ewan guessed it was part of the building next to the club. It looked like an emergency shelter with freezers, cots and supplies. He put Sofia down on a cot and found a blanket to wrap around her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, worried.

She pushed aside her wet hair. "Yes, I'm fine, just wet."

"Stay here, I'll be back in a minute." Ewan said as he looked around the room. He could see some of the vampires were cut up and a couple looked like they had bullet wounds. The human freshies were the worst hit, with some burns and smoke inhalation. An outside door opened and a team of Cleaners entered down some stairs.

"Everyone who needs medical attention come over here." the Cleaner said in a loud voice. One of the other Cleaners was setting up a table with first aid supplies and a few women wrapped in blankets were helped to that side of the room.

Ewan found the club manager. "Did everyone get out all right?" He asked.

The vampire rubbed his soot-covered face. "We lost Bruno at the front door. He was shot through the head with silver. Another vamp was hit directly by the explosion and he's ash. I called the Cleaners as soon as I saw what was going on. I think there was someone outside shooting to keep us in."

Ewan nodded. He thought so too. "I'm going to check with the Cleaner and call Josef Kostan." Ewan circled the room, making sure everyone was getting cared for. The water-soaked humans were shivering under blankets. They needed to be evacuated

He walked toward the Cleaner. "I'm Ewan Conley." He introduced himself. He'd never met this Cleaner before.

The attractive redhead in leather could tell Ewan was far older than her, and was probably the oldest vampire in the room. As such, he was in charge. Cleaners usually didn't give their names, but this was a special circumstance. "Bridget." She responded shortly with a nod. "Is this all the injured?"

Ewan scanned the room. "Yes. We lost a couple upstairs. They said someone was shooting anyone trying to leave."

"Yeah," she frowned furiously. "There were vamps on the buildings across the street and next door. They disappeared as soon as we pulled up. I sent a couple of my guys to see if they could scent anything." Bridget hated when they had to police the vampire community. They were Cleaners, but also ended up being _de facto_ police more often than not.

"Is it safe to move the humans out?" Ewan asked.

Bridget nodded. "I'll have the vans outside the doors in a few minutes. We can take them to a safe house we have set up until we can find out what's going on."

Ewan knew that most of the humans were donors or worked at the club, so they would understand. The vampire community protected their own. He looked at Bridget. "Have you called Josef Kostan?"

"No, I wanted to assess the situation first." The other Cleaners were tending to the wounded. It seemed most of them just had superficial scrapes and burns. The club manager came up to them.

"I've got the water turned off upstairs," he said. "The fire's out and no police or fire departments showed up."

"Good," Bridget responded. "I don't know if we should let the vamps go home….."

Ewan scanned the room. "I think they wanted to cause chaos and fear with the explosions. I doubt they've targeted individual vampires here." He knew the vamps that were captured had hit lists, but this attack seemed more like a terrorist strike.

"All right. We'll warn everyone to be on guard." she moved further into the room. "Attention." She said loudly. The murmurings in the room stopped and the bedraggled people looked up.

"We're going to take the humans to a safe house for the night and they can return home tomorrow. The rest of you please proceed to your homes, but use caution. We don't know who is responsible for this and you need to be on your guard. Try to stay in your home for the next couple of days. We will keep you informed about any developments."

She finished speaking and there was muttering among the vampires. Ewan sensed the unease and decided to lend some support.

"A moment, please," he said sternly. "As an Elder, I assure you that everything is being done for your protection. I can tell you Josef Kostan will not let this outrage rest until the culprits are brought to justice. If you haven't dealt with Josef personally, let me tell you he is voracious in dealing with any threats to the community. If anyone sees or hears anything suspicious, call Josef's office immediately. In the meantime, keep as quiet as you can and we will let you know when the danger is past. Thank you."

Bridget looked at Ewan with approval as he walked to the other side of the room. He seemed to be a take charge vampire beneath his quiet demeanor. She might like to get to know him better, Then she noted that he was making his way to a small oriental-looking woman. _Hmm_. _He seemed to be quite taken with the small human_. With a regretful sigh, she turned to deal with the evacuation.

Sofia smiled brightly at Ewan as he sat down next to her on the cot. "How are you?" he asked.

"Just a little cold, but a hot shower will fix me up."

"Good," he said hugging her to him. "You'll stay with me for the weekend?"

"Of course."

"Let's get you out of here. I need to call Josef."

TBC

_**Next, Josef isn't too happy either and some new clues help our vamps. Thanks for reading!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Thanks for staying with the story, I appreciate all of you! It looks like our vamps finally have a lead~~~~~~~~~**_

Chapter 15

Logan Griffen picked up his cell phone gingerly. He needed to call Josef Kostan and update him. Logan had been helping Rider England keep tabs on the bug that Beth planted in the mercenary's home. Josef felt it was too important to tape and review later, so Rider and Logan took turns monitoring live. It would have been easy if all the vamps in the house slept at the same time, but one was always awake and on guard, therefore, could say things or make calls that might be important.

That was the case now, and Logan heard something that he knew Mr. Kostan would want to know about. Even though Logan had worked closely with Josef on the Monahan case, Logan still felt uncomfortable calling Josef anything but Mr. Kostan.

Logan glanced around his basement, drawing comfort from his familiar quarters. Logan knew he represented the geek factor by living in a basement surrounded by computers, but it was his life before he was a vampire and he saw no reason to change. He had been turned after a long weekend of partying back in the sixties and never knew his sire. He was lucky enough to be taken in by an older vampire who was at the party that night. His adopted sire tried to find out who turned him but they never could. Logan adjusted to vampire life well, and his sire and mentor helped him get started in the computer business. Logan could see they were the wave of the future and invested as much as he could in Microsoft and Apple. His small investment grew until he was quite wealthy. He didn't want to touch his capital, so he hired out to the vampire community for cash. There were few that could top his skills except Rider England, but Rider worked for Josef and didn't freelance.

With a sigh, Logan dialed the number.

xxxxxxxxx

Josef ended the call angrily and started to throw the cell phone across the room. He thought better of it and instead turned, slamming his fist through the nearest wall. He pulled his bloodied hand out; the pain from broken bones did little to ease his frustration. The bones and skin knit together and he sat down heavily in his office chair. He'd just spoken to Ewan, who told him of the attack on the Blue Moon club. He knew he should talk to Bella and work on strategies but he needed to have his temper under control first.

He flexed his injured hand, thinking he should have some blood. The forgotten cell phone buzzed to life on his desk. _Dammit, what now?_

"Yes," he barked, "who is it?"

"_Uh, Mr. Kostan, it's Logan. I wanted to, um, let you know…"_

"Spit it out." Josef snapped.

"_I was listening to a live feed from the vamp's house and, uh, it sounds like they're going to see this count guy soon. It was mostly in French but I picked up a few words. I thought you could get it translated."_

Josef sat up quickly. Beth had tagged their car; maybe they could lead to finding the vamp that seemed to be orchestrating the attacks on his city.

"All right, Logan." Josef said as calmly as he could. "Email me the recordings. Keep listening and let me know if they say anything else."

"_Yes, sir." _

Josef hung up from the call feeling a bit better knowing they had a lead. He would listen to the recording and see what was said. He was fluent in French and even knew some of the Parisian _patois._

He poured himself some AB neg and downed it quickly, as he didn't want to expose any of the freshies to his mood. Pacing around the room he heard his email ding. Opening it, he downloaded the recording and listened.

He heard shuffling and then a phone ringing. A voice said, '_Quiet imbéciles. It is le Comte.' _A pause._ 'Oui, Monseigneur.'_ There were a few rapid phrases in French, and Josef made notes with vampire speed. Mostly there was silence as the vamp was listening to the person on the other end.

'_Oui, Monseigneur. Adieu.'_ There was a little more shuffling and another voice asked in English, '_What did he say?'_

'_Ah, we are to meet with him in a few days time. He will tell us where and when later. He did have some news,'_ the voice said with satisfaction. '_It seems our brothers were successful in setting fire to that dance club.'_

'_What happened_?' The other voice asked.

'_I_ _believe many were killed. The Cleaners interfered, but no one was seen coming out of the building and it was on fire. Most agreeable, oui?' _

Josef paused the replay and leaned back in his chair. So, they thought they killed a lot of vampires. Josef knew only two were actually destroyed and the rest were going to lie low for a while. He was glad he'd financed the new building for the club which included the emergency escape route and shelter room.

Josef could use that to their advantage and lull the count into a false sense of victory. He continued to listen to the recording, but the vampires only discussed the supposed massacre. He was pleased, but maybe some further misinformation was needed. He buzzed his assistant. "Deb, would you ask Ms. Turner to see me?" He clicked off the intercom.

In a few minutes, Beth poked her head in the door. She was on her way out after a long evening at her desk. She and Mick had a great time at Josef's beach house the weekend before, but her work had piled up in just a few days. Now she was eager to see Mick at home.

"Hey, Josef. What do you need?"

He motioned her into the office. "Sit down Beth. Have you heard about what happened at the club tonight?"

She shook her head, looking concerned. "No, what?"

She reacted in horror as Josef detailed the scene. "Luckily, we only lost two and none of the freshies were seriously injured."

"I'm glad Ewan and Sofia are okay. Who did it?" she asked tightly.

"Some other vamps hired by the count. It was a different group than the ones you visited. They got word of it tonight when the count called your guys."

Beth made a face. "They're not _my_ guys."

"Well, I have an idea." He looked at her speculatively. "I want you to call them."

"Who, those vamps?"

"Yes, tell them you heard about the attack and you were worried they were at the club. You can say you heard most of the vampires died in the fire. They'll pass that onto the count and he'll think we're in panic mode."

Beth sat back, thinking. It was a good idea, but Mick wouldn't like her doing this. As if he read her mind, Josef said, "Don't worry, Mick will be fine with it. You're not going to see them, and they can't trace your phone."

"If you think it will do any good….."

Josef pulled out the untraceable phone that Beth used before. "Here, the number is already set."

Beth stood up, facing away from Josef. "All right, give me a moment." She closed her eyes and put herself into the persona of Maryanne. She dialed the number.

"_Allo?"_ Came an accented voice.

"Hello," Beth said excitedly. "Who is this? Is it Rene?"

"_Oui. Who is this?"_

"It's Maryanne. How are you?" In the background, she heard voices, and Jacques came onto the line.

"_Maryanne, cherie, it is nice to hear you."_

"Oh, Jacques, I'm so glad you're all right. Did you hear about the fire at the Blue Moon?" Beth said breathily.

"_We did hear of it, yes." _

"I was so worried; I know you go there sometimes." She lowered her voice. "I was told most of the vampires there were killed—burned up."

"_Oh, that is sad, I am devastated."_

_I bet you are, you miserable bastard_, Beth thought. "I slipped out to call to make sure you and the boys were okay."

"_We are fine, ma petite. But we would like to see you, what are you doing?"_

"My sire is terribly upset, we've moved to his friend's house and he's talking about leaving Los Angeles for a while."

"_Mais non, that is unfortunate. I wanted to see you again_." Jacques replied.

"Me too. I'm sorry, I have to go. They're looking for me. I'm glad you're okay. Take care, bye." Beth hung up and her shoulders slumped.

Josef pressed a glass of blood in her hand. She drank it down, feeling better. She shouldn't be so nervous, except she had been talking to killers. Vampires that killed their own kind for money.

Josef looked at her closely. "Better now?"

"Yes. Was that all right?"

"Perfect." Josef grinned widely. "I'm sure they'll pass that info along to their boss. I want him to think that we're panicked and licking our wounds, so to speak."

Beth sat down. "So, what's next?"

"Next for you is to go home to Mick."

"Josef—" she started. She wasn't going to be patted on the head and told to go play.

He held up his hand. "Beth, you can't do any more tonight. I need to get with Bella and figure out how to nail this guy. I want his head." Josef growled.

She frowned slightly. "What about all the mercenaries he hired? According to Bella, they're all over town and they don't know each other."

Josef shrugged. "We'll have to track them down. They have to come out to feed…"

"Yes!" Beth exclaimed. "Remember Guillermo saying there were foreign vamps buying blood? Why can't we put a tracker on the blood packages somehow? They'll take the blood to their hideouts and we can find them. We might track some innocent vamps, but we can figure that out when we find them."

Josef sat up, grinning. "Brilliant, Blondie. I knew I was a genius to hire you."

"Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back." Beth smirked.

"Oh, I'm flexible," Josef replied in good humor. "Get home. I'll keep you and Mick posted. I need to get this rolling."

Beth headed for the garage. Josef's office building had secure parking, and she was glad that Mick had cameras in the loft garage, monitored by Josef's people. He had upgraded the security in his building after she had been kidnapped.

She dialed Mick as she drove. "_Hi, baby_." He came on the line.

"Did you hear about what happened at the club?"

Mick frowned. "_No, what_?"

"They were attacked, with some kind of firebomb. Only a couple of vamps died, the rest got out."

"_Shit,"_ Mick responded. His first thought was of Beth. _"Where are you? Do you need me to come get you?"_

Beth smiled into the phone. "No, I'm fine. I'm on my way home and I'll be there in a few minutes. I'll tell you the rest when I get home."

"_Okay." _ Mick was still concerned and left the loft to wait for Beth in the garage. He wasn't taking any chances.

xxxxxxxxxxx

At his estate in the hills, Valbonne just received a call from one of his mercenary teams. Jacques told him he had heard from a local vampire that the raid on the club downtown had been a success and many vampires had been killed. He smiled evilly. _Good, they will be in chaos_, he thought. Now is the time to strike. He lit a cigar thoughtfully. What if he let leak where the supposed hunters were? Valbonne still had the contingent of human hunters and if the LA Cleaners got word of where they were, the Cleaners and many more LA vamps would try to attack them. Valbonne could control the time and place and have his mercenaries surround and consume the LA attack force. He smiled again. It was a good plan and he needed to get it in place.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Over there, against the wall." Ben Talbot instructed the movers. He had his apartment packed up and was moving a few pieces into Megan's condo. He had to admit the Cleaners did a good job erasing all traces of the violent invasion at Megan's place. She seemed fine with coming back and had a double-wide freezer installed in the room attached to the master bedroom. He approved of her bedroom furnishings and liked her taste. The spare room was being done up as a study, with her desk and the one he was bringing with him that had belonged to his father. Most of his relatives were gone, and he was glad he could use his family heirlooms. The Persian rug from his grandmother graced the new hardwood floor in the study. The room was as large as the master bedroom and had dark wood bookshelves. Boxes of his law books were there, ready to be unpacked.

Megan came into the study, smiling as the movers placed the last of the furniture and departed. "It looks wonderful!" She said, putting her arm around Ben's waist.

"Yeah, it's nicer than the corner of my old bedroom." His former apartment had been pretty small. "Thank you for doing all this for me." He kissed Megan on the head, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Of course. We're together now."

Megan's cell phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket, answering. "Hello?" She saw it was Ewan.

"_Megan, I wanted to tell you that we had some trouble tonight. Someone tried to bomb the club."_

"Oh, no." she said, looking at Ben. He scowled, hearing the conversation. "What happened?"

"_Sofia and I were there, but we were able to get out. A couple of guys were killed, but everyone else is fine. I didn't want you to hear about it from someone else." _

Megan knew he was taking Sofia out for the evening and they might stop by the club. "I'm so glad." she said, relieved. "Do they know who did it?"

"_I don't know. The Cleaners came and I'm sure they've notified Josef. Most of the vamps who were there are going into hiding for a few days, just in case."_

Ben's eyes flashed silver, and he took the phone from Megan. "Ewan, it's Ben. Is there anything I can do?"

"_No, Ben. Josef and the Cleaners will be handling everything. Just keep Megan safe, will you?"_

"Of course." He gave the phone back to Megan and she said goodbye to Ewan and put the phone back in her pocket. She could feel Ben's anger. "It will be fine, Ben. Don't worry."

Ben held her close, his nose in her hair, smelling her familiar scent. He couldn't imagine anything happening to Megan, and by extension to Ewan. They were his family now, and he would do whatever was needed to protect them.

"I want to be there when they go after these guys." He said.

She blinked at him. She knew he was feeling frustrated he couldn't get back to a normal life just yet, but he wasn't ready for the fight that might happen. "Ben, you're barely able to be around humans now. I've seen vamp on vamp fights before and it's vicious."

"I can use a gun." Ben replied. "And I took down Lola, remember?"

"Yes, but that's because you were human and she didn't think you were a danger. Now, it would be different." Megan went into the bedroom and he followed. She put her hand in the closet and came out with a short curved sword, over two feet in length. She showed it to Ben. "Can you use one of these?"

He grimaced at the weapon. "No."

"Dearest, the only time vamps use guns is at very close range or at a stationary target. Otherwise we move too quickly and the bullet misses. We usually use swords or hand-to-hand."

Ben sagged a little. Megan was right, he wasn't ready to take on another vampire. "I just want to help, I know Beth does….."

"Yes, but she's older than you and Mick's been training her."

He stood up again. "Then I want Mick to train me. I won't stand around while others take all the risks."

Megan's heart warmed at her mate's bravery. But she needed to temper it with caution. "You can talk to him, I'm sure he'll be happy to help after these hunters are gone."

Ben nodded. He was going to make sure he was prepared to defend himself and Megan. He knew she was concerned that he would do something impulsive. "Okay, I'll wait." He could feel her relief.

"Don't we have some books to unpack?" she asked. He smiled and motioned to the study. "I'll take the tall shelves."

TBC

_**It looks like Ben might be into vampire justice. Next, both sides make their plans, but you know what they say about the best laid schemes …..**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**I appreciate your comments and those who continue to love Moonlight. Our vamps are on the trail and it's time for retribution …..**_

Chapter 16

It was Sunday night, two days after the attack on the Blue Moon club and Josef was in his office. He had the office and his house on lockdown with amped up security. He had been busy with Bella and the Cleaners, getting ready to move when they knew where the mysterious Count Valbonne was hiding. Josef and Bella planned to catch him meeting with his mercenaries and take them all out.

In the meantime, he wanted to touch base with all involved and they were meeting via webcam. It was faster and easier than getting all the vampires to the Cleaners' headquarters. Josef watched Rider get the large screen TV in his office linked up to the computer. Rider frowned over his computer and suddenly several people popped up on the screen. Mick and Beth's faces were in one corner, with Guillermo in another. Megan showed up and Josef would bet that Ben was off camera and listening. Logan was next, followed by Bella and Annie from their headquarters.

Josef glanced at Rider, who nodded. 'Good evening, everyone. We thought this would be more convenient than getting all of you in one place. Bella?"

"We're ready to go. The Cleaners from the surrounding cities are on alert as soon as we need them." LA had about a dozen Cleaners, but they put San Diego and Las Vegas on call. Both were about two hours away.

Josef nodded, "Good. How are you on weapons?"

"We added to our stores, and have extra flame throwers and silver cartridges."

Josef now looked at Guillermo's face on the screen. "Guillermo, has there been any blood going to foreign-speaking vamps?"

"Yes," Guillermo responded. "we worked with your security guys to insert GPS trackers inside the caps on the blood bags. We changed out the caps when anyone with an accent purchased blood, here and at Terrance's shop. There have been four so far."

All the faces on the screen seem pleased at this news.

Guillermo continued. "Logan and Rider have the coordinates and even if they trash the blood packets later, we know where they are."

"Great." Josef replied. "All right, we're trying to find the place where this count is holed up and then—"

Logan broke in. "Wait. I've been monitoring the GPS locator on the vamps Beth went to see. They were at a location downtown, but now they're moving and not going back to their house. They're going out of the city."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Rene was dancing hot and heavy with a brunette who was drunk and all over him. His eyes began to silver and his fangs dropped as he started to move her toward the hallway at the back of the club. She was so out of it he knew he could take her behind the club, enjoying both her body and her blood. Suddenly, Jacques was grabbing him by the shoulder, speaking in the vampire undertone. "Leave her. I just had a call from le Comte. We need to go."

Rene snarled. "It can wait a few minutes. _La petite cheinne_ is ready." Jacques could smell the human woman's desire and her blood, but business before pleasure. "Leave her. We have work to do."

"_Merde,_ Jacques, she is ripe for me. We can share."

Jacques was tempted, but they didn't have time to dispose of a drained human, even if she was willing. They were in a human club, and they couldn't call the Cleaners.

"Just leave her," Jacques ordered. "There will be time enough for that later. If le Comte is angry, we'll all suffer."

Rene pushed the girl away reluctantly and followed Jacques to the exit. Luc was there, and they went to their car.

"We could have waited a few minutes," Rene grumbled.

Jacques restrained himself from clouting Rene. "We have business to do. You can indulge yourself after we take care of our contract. Once we're done and back in Paris you can have as many whores as you want."

They continued to drive east into the hills overlooking Los Angeles. They turned up a long drive and got out of the car. Guards were at the door and waved them in. They walked into a large living area, and saw there were nine other vampires ranged around the sumptuous furniture.

Valbonne looked at the vampires with satisfaction. Earlier he found there were two vamps he was unable to contact and he wondered if they left town without telling him. He wondered about them but as the Americans would say, they were 'small potatoes.' He was excited the rest would dispose of the LA Cleaners and hopefully the Elders.

"_Mes amis_, we are now ready to make our assault on this city. You are trained and ready. Let me tell you of the plan…"

xxxxxxxxxx

At his office, Josef and the others on the webcam link waited for Logan and Rider to triangulate the location of the vampire's car.

"They're up in the Angeles Forest, on one of the canyon roads."

"Damn." Josef jumped up. The others couldn't see him on the webcam, but could hear him. "It looks like the count called them now and we're not ready."

Mick said, "Josef, don't worry. If that's the guy's house, we can go up there and take him out later."

Josef stopped his pacing and sat down again. The others saw his stony face. "I know, but I wanted to get them all at once."

"If we catch the leader, the others will be easy to find." Bella commented, trying to restore order. "If we know where he is, we can take him out on our terms."

"Right." Josef quieted and started thinking. He looked over at Rider. "Rider, you and Logan find out everything you can about that property. I want satellite photos, who owns it and any security you can find. Bella, call the other Cleaners and get them in town. I want to do this tomorrow night. Guillermo, make sure Logan and Rider have the coordinates on the vamps who bought blood. After the count, I want to go after his mercenaries. I'm going in with the crew at the count's." His face became hard. "I want the first shot at him."

"Josef, I'm going with you." Mick chimed in. Beth responded. "Me, too."

Josef was amused at Beth's stubborn expression as Mick gave her a sidelong glance. He'd rather face Valbonne than Beth's determination.

Guillermo said, "I'm coming, too."

"Okay, you guys work it out with Bella. We'll meet at the Cleaner's tomorrow at midnight. Logan, Rider, you keep ears on the vamp's house to see if they talk about any of their plans. Relay any info to Bella. See you tomorrow."

Everyone nodded, and their faces winked out as they cut the feed to the call. After the computer was shut down, Rider left the room.

Josef walked over to the bar and poured himself a stiff drink. He sipped it and wondered how he would tell Simone he was going on the mission. She wouldn't be pleased.

xxxxxxxxxx

The Comte de Valbonne was having a celebratory drink. He had laid out the plan for the human hunters to be the prey for the LA vampires. They would move in two nights and try to catch as many of the local vampires as possible. It would take a day to get the humans set up and leak a tip to the Cleaners. When they came to investigate, the trap would be set.

Valbonne sat on the terrace overlooking the canyon and lit a cigar, looking forward to the next couple of days.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Mick shut down the computer and turned to Beth. "I don't want you to come," he said. He saw her jaw jut out and her arms cross her chest.

"Why not?" She asked defiantly.

"Sweetheart, you're too young and these guys are experts."

"Mick, we've been over this before. You've trained me and the Cleaners and everyone else will be there. I can handle myself." She felt his fear for her and went to him, putting her arms around him. "I'm not human anymore. I can do this now."

Mick grabbed her close. "I know, but I don't want to risk you. If anything happened to you, I might as well die for good."

"What about you?" She asked. "How can I wait here, knowing you're going to fight? I need to be there. I'll stay by you and do whatever you tell me." She looked up at him. "I have to know you're all right."

Mick sighed an unneeded breath. He thought about her courage all the times before and after she was a vampire. "Okay. Promise you'll do what I say?"

"Of course." She hugged him tighter, smiling into his chest. "We'll be fine and we'll get the bad guy."

"My little tiger." He whispered into her hair.

"Roar." She purred, raking her nails across his back through his shirt.

Mick clasped his hands on her buttocks, tugging her into him. "I think you need to show me your moves." He said invitingly.

Beth found his neck, suckling on his skin, her fangs starting to drop. "Great idea."

xxxxxxxxxx

Rider reported to Josef that the vamps they were listening to didn't say much about their upcoming attack, they just spent time talking about their weapons and the timing. It seemed their plan would be night after next and had to do with leaking information to the local Cleaners.

Josef relayed that to Bella and she said they would be on the lookout. The extra Cleaners were arriving from out of town and were staying at the LA headquarters. Josef's plan to attack the following night would preempt the count's plan. He tightened the tie on his silk robe over his pajama bottoms and went upstairs. Simone was in the large bed propped up, reading a legal brief. She looked up, "What's the latest?" she questioned. Josef had told her they were going to converge on the count's house later that night.

"Everything's set. We'll have more than a dozen vamps so it shouldn't be too difficult." He could feel her worry and knew she was trying to hide it. Sprawling on the bed, he scattered her papers. "Don't worry, doll. We have the numbers, it'll be fine."

Simone smiled wanly. "I know. Just be careful, okay?" Her voice trembled a bit.

"I promise," Josef said sincerely. "We'll have protective gear and the element of surprise."

Simone didn't want to put more stress on Josef with her worry, so she just pulled him closer and cuddled to his side, her brief forgotten. He stayed with her until she fell asleep, and then went to his freezer.

Shortly before midnight that night the LA vampires met at the Cleaner's headquarters. Most of them were dressed in black and they passed around camo makeup to obscure their faces. They all donned Kevlar vests and made sure everyone was armed. Megan was there to help with any wounded along with Guillermo. Ben stayed home against his wishes but knew he would be a liability if there was too much blood in the air.

Bella had changed her usual spiked heels for boots and surveyed the assembled vampires. She directed everyone's attention to the large TV screen. "Here is a satellite view of the house and grounds," she said. "It's up in the forest, so there are no fences. We don't know if there are patrols on the grounds or how many in the house. We think they're all vampires because infrared didn't detect any human heat signatures. We'll have to keep well away from the house until we're ready to move in, so they don't detect us."

Josef continued, "The team leaders will have an earbud so we can keep in contact. On the signal, the teams will break into the house at their assigned entry points." He passed out overhead pictures with each designated spot for the vampires to infiltrate.

Beth took Mick's hand, a little afraid, but determined he wouldn't regret letting her come along. He squeezed her hand back. He was still apprehensive but glad she was by his side. They were going in with one of the Las Vegas Cleaners, while Josef would enter with Bella and Annie.

"All right," Bella surveyed the group. "Check your weapons and let's hit the vans." The vampires moved wordlessly to the vehicles. Megan and Guillermo were in the last van, which had the blood and medical supplies. They drove out into the streets, heading for the hills. As they traveled, they checked the communication system. Josef was in the first van, with Mick and Beth in the second. Mick heard a squeak in his ear and Josef's voice said, "Hey, Mick, are you there?"

"Yeah, Josef."

"Tell Blondie to keep your ass out of trouble."

Mick smirked, and said, "Okay, you do the same."

"Right."

They were soon in the canyons. It was dark but not a problem the vampires to see. They drew up a few hundred yards from the count's property and quietly exited the vehicles. After a quick equipment check the teams moved stealthily into the brush toward the house.

The wooded areas gave way to low scrub and there was no scent of vampires. Bella gave the word that the grounds were empty and they soundlessly approached the house. A few rooms were lit and the teams made their way to their assigned entrance points. They made sure to keep far enough away so the vamps in the house wouldn't be alerted.

All the team leaders heard Bella hiss, "NOW," and they swarmed toward the house. Mick kicked in the French doors leading into a darkened room with Beth and the other Cleaner following. There was a flash of gunfire from the left. Beth ducked and rolled, coming up with her gun pointed. Mick disarmed the vampire and the other Cleaner dispatched him with his machete. Mick found Beth in the darkness. "All right?" he asked. She nodded and they made their way further into the house. They heard the sounds of fighting and shots from various rooms and proceeded cautiously.

On the other side of the house, Josef, Bella and Annie pushed through the front door, expecting resistance. They found two vampires in the front room watching television. Surprised, they jumped up but Annie and Bella were prepared and staked them quickly. The two stricken vamps slid to the floor. Josef didn't see Valbonne, and wasn't about to let him escape. He started toward the stairway to the upstairs.

Valbonne was in his room, going over maps of Los Angeles when he heard the gunfire and screams from downstairs and realized they were being attacked. He only had six guards at the house. He cursed himself for thinking that would be enough. Valbonne had an escape route of sorts, through a window in a back bedroom and across the garage roof. He could then make it to where he had a car hidden in the trees, but he had to get to that bedroom. He cracked his door and saw the hallway was clear. Grabbing his gun, he moved quietly into the hall. He'd almost made it to the back room when he heard a noise behind him. He spun to see a blond vampire dressed in black, pointing a gun at him.

"Leaving already, Count?" Josef said sarcastically. Valbonne fired his gun and Josef staggered back an inch or two, the Kevlar stopping the bullets. Valbonne moved with vampire speed to the back bedroom, with Josef on his heels. Valbonne made a dive for the window, breaking the glass, but Josef grabbed him back, throwing him across the room. Valbonne pushed himself up the wall, growling at Josef, his eyes silvered and terrible. "Get out of my way or you will die." He'd lost his gun but could still fight.

Josef assumed a casual stance, but was on the alert. "I won't be the one dying here today, count. Oh, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Josef Kostan."

Valbonne's eyes narrowed with hatred. "I will kill you."

Josef looked both bored and amused. "Don't be so dramatic. I've got a dozen vamps downstairs and all of yours are out of commission."

Valbonne was infuriated his plans were thwarted but knew when to retreat. He would regroup and kill this grinning upstart. He launched himself toward the broken window to escape. Josef grabbed for him, but Valbonne twisted away and misjudged his jump. He landed on a piece of glass left stuck in the window frame and it pierced his abdomen and he bellowed in pain. If he were mortal he would have died, but he pulled himself off the shard and blood gushed from the wound. At that moment, Josef unsheathed his machete and swung around, neatly decapitating Valbonne.

Josef looked with grim satisfaction at the bloody body in a heap on the floor. He felt no pity, just regret that a vampire so old was so arrogant to think he could do whatever he pleased without consequences. He scented Mick nearby, as well as Bella and Annie. "All clear," he called out to them.

Mick peered cautiously into the room and holstered his weapon. "You got him?" he asked, smelling the blood.

"Yeah." Josef wiped his blade on a nearby bedspread, "he's done."

Bella, Mick and Annie came into the room and took in the situation. She touched her ear bud so the rest of their crew could hear. "Stand down. I repeat, stand down. Situation is contained. Guillermo, bring up the van and supplies to the front door." She nodded as she heard his response.

"Any injuries?" Josef asked.

Bella shrugged. "A couple of bullet wounds, nothing serious. We have two of his flunkies staked, the rest dead. Lots of blood, though. Going to be tough to clean."

Josef glanced at Mick, who gave him a brief nod. "We need a fire, Bella. Just make sure only the house goes up. We can't have any wildfires in the canyon." He headed toward the door with Mick behind him.

"C'mon Josef," Mick said as they walked downstairs. "We'll get some blood. Beth is helping with the wounded."

Josef went out the front door and Mick joined him with a thermal cup of blood and they both drank deeply. "Looks like you took a couple of hits. Any damage?" Mick asked.

"No, just bruises and I can feel them healing." Josef gave Mick a small smile. "It's been a while since I've been in a firefight. Kind of exciting, although maybe I'm getting too old for this shit."

"Nah," Mick responded. "you just need to get out of the office more."

"If I do that, Simone might have something to say about it. Speaking of my lovely fiancée, I should call her."

Mick leaned against the house and chuckled. "I just love to see the great Josef Kostan pussy-whipped."

"Huh. I notice Beth came on the mission so don't talk to me about who's whipped."

"I heard that." Beth said, coming out the door with a mock frown. They both turned to her looking suitably chastised, but she knew neither was repentant. "Bella said we need to clear out so they get to work. Megan and Guillermo have taken care of the injured guys and we're ready to leave."

"Yeah, let's get outta here." Josef agreed, and the three vampires melted into the night.

TBC

_**Had to have Josef take out the Count after all the trouble he caused. But, there are still some baddies out there, so stay tuned~~~~~~~~~~~ **_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Well, the Count is gone, but there's still trouble out there. Thanks to all who read and/or review, I appreciate you!**_

Chapter 17

At Megan and Ben's newly refurbished condo, they were entertaining. Mick, Beth and Guillermo joined them and Ewan brought Sofia. She knew she was included to help Ben get used to being around humans. She felt completely safe as she knew the other vampires wouldn't let Ben get out of control. Ben could smell her blood and hear her heartbeat, but was able to relegate it to the background and felt pleased at his progress.

Ewan hadn't come on the mission against Valbonne and wanted to hear about it. The group was in good spirits since no one was seriously injured and they had been successful.

"I didn't even get to use my new Smith." Beth complained.

"Man, she's bloodthirsty," Guillermo commented. "How about me? I was stuck in the rear with the gear."

"That's because you have such a nice rear." Beth joked, drawing a look from Mick.

"Thanks, Beth." Guillermo waggled his eyebrows at her and laughed at Mick's reaction.

"Well, I was glad not to have to fight; I don't have much experience with combat." Megan said.

Ben spoke up. "That reminds me—Mick, would you have time to give me some training? I used to hunt when I was a kid and I can handle a rifle, but I'm not good with handguns or swords. I wonder if you could give me some pointers about hand-to-hand and using a blade."

"Sure. Josef has a pretty good gym area and he has all the fencing equipment. I can give you the basics and there are a couple of vamps in the city who could show you some martial arts moves." Mick offered. He still felt a twinge that Ben had to give up his human life, but knew he was happy with Megan.

"It would be a good time since I'm not working right now." Ben said.

Ewan asked, "Ben, do you think you'll go back to your old job?"

"I don't know," he replied slowly, "I used to be interested in political office, but now things have changed."

Megan reached across and squeezed his hand. "You'll find what's best for you. You have lots of time."

There was a knock on the door.

Megan got up, scenting Josef. She opened the door and Josef swept in. "Hey! A party and I wasn't invited?" He was dressed casually in a button-down shirt and leather jacket.

Mick rolled his eyes and responded, "We thought you'd be too busy to hang out with the peons."

Josef helped himself to a drink and sat down in an empty chair. "You're right about that. I heard you'd all be here and thought I'd let you know that we raided the houses where Valbonne's mercenaries were living. Bella figured we should do it before they got suspicious and while we had the extra Cleaners in town."

The group unconsciously leaned forward to hear his remarks. Josef smiled with smug satisfaction.

"We had tracers on the blood bags that went to six locations. Two of them were just visiting vamps and they were okay. The other four places had Valbonne's hired guys, not including the ones we knew about from Beth. Earlier this evening, we hit the houses and took care of the mercs."

"Are they all dead?" Sofia asked, hesitantly.

Josef shrugged. "They fought back, so we had no choice. We're raiding Beth's vamps next."

"They're _not_ _my_ vamps!" Beth exclaimed, exasperated.

"Of course not." Josef chuckled. "But I wondered if you wanted to be there when we go to their house." He looked at Mick, expecting a reaction. To his surprise, Mick returned his gaze calmly.

"What?" Mick said. "Ask Beth, not me."

Beth smiled at Mick, realizing he wouldn't object if she wanted to go and she turned to Josef. "Yes, I want to be there."

Hiding his surprise at Mick's lack of reaction, he stood up. "Okay, be at the Cleaners in two hours. We'll go from there."

"Josef, do we have to kill them?" Beth asked. She wouldn't hesitate, but hated unnecessary slaughter.

"No, not if they cooperate. We'll get them out of the country like we did with the vamps we caught a couple of weeks ago. They won't be allowed back on pain of death, so that should keep them across the pond." Josef smiled grimly and nodded at the group. "Sorry to interrupt your evening." he said as he headed for the door.

After he left, Mick and Beth said their goodbyes and drove back to the loft to change. Mick hadn't made any comment about her assisting, so she snuggled up to him on the front seat of the Benz. "You don't mind me going?"

"No, sweetheart. You're all grown up now and can make your own decisions." Her brilliant smile lit up the night.

"I'd like to come with you, though."

"Of course." Beth responded. She wanted to be independent, but it was comforting to know Mick always had her back.

After a quick change into more military attire, they headed to the Cleaners' headquarters. There were only Bella and two other Cleaners, along with Josef, Mick and Beth. They put on their body armor and piled into the vans. As they navigated the streets, Bella said, "Beth, I want you to knock on the door. They'll recognize your scent and we won't have to break in. We'll have my men at the back door and make sure they don't get away."

"What if I can get them to surrender?" Beth asked. She hoped the vampires would be reasonable, but she didn't know the extent of their dedication to Valbonne.

"If they go quietly, we'll let them leave the country without harm, like the ones we caught last week. We'll have their identities and if they try to come back, there'll be no mercy."

Beth nodded. It was necessary. They couldn't let any threat to the vampire community run loose causing trouble. The two SUVs rode quietly to the residential street where the vampires were staying. It was a human neighborhood so they needed to be as circumspect as possible.

There were lights on in the house and Beth walked up to the door. Bella and the others stayed back out of sight. Beth rang the bell and a startled Jacques answered.

"_Cherie_, I'm surprised to—"

At that moment, Bella and the others rushed inside, only taking a second to push Jacques away, slamming the door. Bella, Mick and Josef leveled hand-held semi-automatics at him as Rene and Luc ran into the room.

"What is this?" Jacques asked as he picked himself off the floor. He looked at Beth, "Maryanne, what are you doing?"

Beth looked at him levelly, "First off, my name is Beth Turner and I work for Josef Kostan. Your Count is dead. But we have a proposition for you—"

Before Beth could finish, Rene growled and Jacques silenced him with a gesture. His eyes turned crystal and his fangs dropped. He cursed Beth in French with a string of invectives. Beth didn't understand the insults but Josef did and snarled at the thug. In that second of distraction Jacques launched himself at Beth, determined to rip out her throat. His attack threw her on the ground, but she kicked out her leg, rolling them over. Jacques' fangs missed her neck, biting instead into the Kevlar covering her shoulder.

Rene and Luc took the opportunity to attack Bella and Josef. Mick was knocked over before he could get to Beth. She pushed Jacques away but he grabbed her hair, baring her neck to his fangs. She pulled out a long silver dagger from her boot and shoved it up through his abdomen, straight into his heart. Jacques slid to the floor without a sound.

Mick saw she was all right and turned his attention to the other two vampires. The fight ranged around the living area, smashing furniture and drawing blood. The two French vamps were adept at street fighting, and Rene was struggling with Josef for his gun. He got a choke hold on Josef, but Mick picked up a piece of broken chair and rammed it into Rene. They heard the silenced gunfire as Bella got the upper hand and shot the other vamp in the heart with silver.

Jacques and Luc were dead and Rene staked. Mick helped Josef up from the floor. "Thanks, man."

Bella walked over to Luc, pushing him with her toe to make sure he was gone. Beth looked at Jacques and then her blood-spattered clothes. Running a hand through his hair, Mick asked. "What about this one?" Indicating Rene staked on the floor.

"Let me." Josef drew out his machete and claimed the head.

Mick and Beth gazed at the body.

"He had his chance and decided to be stupid," Bella commented.

Beth nodded, and Josef glanced at her with approval. Bella called her Cleaners through her ear bud. "We're done. We need a cleanup."

Josef, Mick and Beth left the house, checking the neighborhood to see if there was any sign they had been heard. It was quiet, and they climbed into the extra SUV and drove away, leaving the Cleaners to do their work.

Beth leaned against Mick in the car, wishing the outcome had been different, but happy the threat to all her friends was gone. Mick was just glad it was over and his Beth was safe.

There was a small news item the next evening that a house in the Angeles Forest somehow caught fire. A broken gas main was the suspected cause. The fire destroyed the house but was contained and didn't spread to the forest or any other homes.

Josef came into the library the next night, glad to have the hunters gone. Bella used the tip provided by the count to find the human hunters and dispatch them. She reported the executions to Josef, who thought it best to keep that information from Mick and the other prominent vamps in LA. He sat in his chair, allowing the tensions of the past few weeks roll off him. Now he could get back to business. He grimaced to himself. Who knew what the markets had been doing while he had been distracted…

A few minutes later, his cell rang. He looked at it, realizing the call came from Paula at the Waverly Place townhouse. It had to be about Sarah.

"Yes?"

"_Mr. Kostan,"_ Paula began, her voice sounded tearful. _"Something's happened."_

Josef sat up, alarmed. "Yes, Paula, what's wrong?"

"_I'm so sorry, I wouldn't have let him in, but he had identification, and I didn't know—" _

"What?" Josef growled.

"_It's Ms. Whitley. She's—she's dying, I think. I mean the doctor thinks so, but he doesn't know for sure"_ Paula was almost incoherent.

He tried to calm her. "What happened?"

"_The man stabbed her. I'm so sorry, I left the room for a moment, and I didn't know he'd go in there…"_

"What did Dr. Egan say?" The doctor was human, but knew about vamps and attended Sarah on occasion.

"_He said he's not sure what he can do. He's gone to get some medical equipment that might help. The guards have the man who did it, he's locked up."_

Josef could hear Paula apologizing and let himself go on autopilot. "All right, Paula, don't worry. I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up, guilt and grief washing over him. He called his jet crew and instructed them to be at the airport immediately. He had to get out there and find out Sarah's condition. He cursed himself for not moving Sarah to LA years ago. It was sentimental on his part because he knew how much she'd loved New York.

He flew upstairs to pack a case. Simone came in, just back from the office. "Josef, what's wrong?" she asked

He continued to pack, not looking at her. "I have to go to New York. Something's wrong with Sarah."

"Oh," she said, stunned, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Josef stopped a moment and came over to her, kissing her tenderly. "No, I don't know what happened and I don't know how long I'll be." He smiled slightly. "Don't worry. I'll be in touch. I'm flying out of LAX as soon as I can get there."

Simone nodded. She left the room and went to her home office, closing the door for privacy. She dialed a number. "Mick?"

"_Yeah, Simone. What's up?" _ Mick answered. He was in his office doing paperwork. Beth was upstairs in her office doing the same.

"Josef just got a call from New York. There's something wrong with Sarah, I don't know what. He's flying out on his plane right now. It sounds bad. He doesn't want me to go, and I was wondering if you could….."

Mick frowned. He knew if anything could devastate Josef it was Sarah. He thought about his case load and figured he could wait on the two cases he had pending. "_Sure, Simone. I'll go with him." _

"Thank you, Mick." He could hear the relief in her voice. "He's heading for the corporate jet in a few minutes. Can you make it?"

"_Yeah, I'll be there. You hang on, okay?" _

"Uh-huh," Simone gulped. "If Josef can't call me, would you let me know he's all right?"

"_No problem. I'm going to go. Talk to you soon, okay?"_

"Thanks, Mick." The line went dead.

_Shit, _Mick thought. They'd just gotten rid of the hunters and now something happens to Sarah. He ran up the stairs to their room. "Beth," he called, knowing she would hear. He pulled out an overnight case and started to stuff in some clothes.

"Yes Mick?" Beth appeared in the doorway. Seeing him packing at vampire speed, she asked. "What's going on?"

He glanced at her briefly. "Something's happened to Sarah." Beth gasped. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Josef got a call and he's headed for New York alone. Simone wants me to go with him." He zipped up his case and turned to her. "If it's bad, someone should be there with him."

Beth nodded, "Of course." She knew by instinct that Josef wouldn't want Simone to see him distraught over Sarah. "You're leaving now?"

"Yeah, Josef's going to the airport and I have to head him off."

Beth threw her arms around his neck. "I love you. Be careful, okay?"

"I will." Mick kissed her, pulling her to him. "I'll call you when we get there." He released her, and grabbed his bag. "If you have time, try to see how Simone is doing."

She nodded. "I'll go over tonight. I'm sure she's upset."

"I've gotta go, sweetheart. I love you." He kissed her forehead. "I'll call."

Mick raced out of the room quickly and she heard the door close as he left. She knew Josef presented himself to the community as the tough, in-charge Elder, but she knew that he had as many demons as Mick did. Beth headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before she went up to Josef's house to see Simone.

Mick drove as fast as he could to the airport. Traffic was light for LA and he parked in the long-term lot, giving the attendant an extra hundred to make sure the Benz was properly looked after.

He found the Kostan Industries corporate jet and saw the stairs were still down. He was relieved he'd made it in time. Mick bounded up the stairs, bag in hand as Josef came out of the back of the plane. Josef looked surprised, then angry.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm going with you." Mick said, dumping his bag on a nearby seat.

"Like hell." Josef responded angrily.

"Yup, and I'm going." Mick crossed his arms, leaning against a seat.

"How did you know…..oh, Simone called you."

"Yeah. She was worried about you."

"Dammit, does she think I need a babysitter?" Josef snarled viciously.

"No, she thought you might need a friend."

The anger drained out of him and he gestured for Mick to sit down. "Yeah, maybe I do."

TBC

_**It seems Josef can't catch a break. Next, what's going on in New York?**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Here's more on Sarah. Thanks for all your encouragement!**_

Chapter 18

The flight was longer than Mick remembered, and there were storms over the Midwest. Josef told Mick as much as he knew about Sarah's condition. He called Paula at the townhouse to say they were on the way. She reported that Sarah was the same and the doctor would be there when Josef arrived. Josef hung up grimly and knew he was going to kill whoever was responsible.

Mick watched Josef pace up and down the plane and finally said, "Why don't you catch a nap in the freezer?"

"No." Josef barely acknowledged Mick and continued to pace.

Mick got up and stood in front of Josef, impeding his way. Josef glared at Mick in annoyance, but Mick held up his hands in surrender. "Look, all I'm saying is get some freezer time while you can. You want to be rested for Sarah's sake."

Not wanting to admit Mick was right, Josef muttered under his breath and went to the back area of the plane containing two freezers. He took off his shoes and jacket, and stretched out in the freezer, hoping he could get a little sleep.

A limo was waiting at JFK to take them to Waverly Place. Josef was silent during the ride and Mick could feel his friend's tension. When they reached the townhouse, Josef bounded up the steps. A distraught Paula opened the door immediately.

"Is the doctor here with Sarah?" Josef asked. She nodded and he went toward the bedroom.

Mick took a moment to say to Paula, "Don't blame yourself." He could tell she was guilt-ridden and grieving. Paula had looked after Sarah for the last ten years and was attached to the redhead in her care. "I'm sorry," she whispered and went to the kitchen.

Following Josef to Sarah's room, he saw Josef bending over the bed while the doctor was speaking.

"….. and we've tried an intravenous pump through the chest veins, but her body's not accepting the blood."

Mick moved a little closer where he could see Sarah and was shocked. She seemed to have deteriorated, her skin gray and wizened. "What happened?" Mick couldn't help but ask.

"Some bastard put a stake in her." Josef turned to Mick with murderous eyes. He looked back at Sarah, now with grief. "It did something to her, she can't absorb any blood…" his voice trailed off as he stared at the still woman in the bed.

The doctor continued, "I'm sorry I can't do more, Mr. Kostan. The wound in her chest isn't healing as it should and she's not accepting blood. I'm afraid her body is shutting down and it's only a matter of time." He glanced at Josef sympathetically. "I'll be right outside if you have any further questions."

Mick went out with the doctor and shut the door. He drew the doctor away from the bedroom. "There's nothing you can do?" Mick asked.

The doctor sighed and shook his head. "No. Her physiology is so different from humans; I've done all I can."

"You seem to know a lot about vampires." Mick observed.

Dr. Egan smiled slightly. "I've been around them all my life. My mother was a donor, which helped pay for my medical school. In fact, I became a hematologist because of my knowledge of vampires and interest in blood." He glanced at the bedroom door. "I've run extensive tests on Sarah over the years and still don't know what went wrong during her transition. I wish I could do more."

Mick nodded and had a thought. "Doctor, could you stay nearby for a while? I have to check on something and I don't want Josef to be alone."

"Yes, I'll be glad to. I'll just sit here for a while and close my eyes. I was up most of the night."

"Thanks, I'll be back shortly." Mick went to the kitchen where he found Paula, looking sad and brewing coffee. She turned when he entered. "Paula, who are the security guys?"

"Jack and Ron. They're in the basement with that man."

"I want to talk to them, could you get one up here?"

Paula went to an intercom and a voice said he'd be right up. Mick had the feeling they didn't want to face an irate Josef and he didn't blame them. A burly blond came into the kitchen and Paula left the room.

"I'm Mick St. John," he introduced himself. "I'm a private investigator and a friend of Josef Kostan."

"Jack Brendan," the vamp responded. He shifted uncomfortably.

"What happened here?" Mick asked neutrally.

He hesitated a moment, but figured he'd take advantage of a chance to explain. He fully expected Kostan to take his head for carelessness. "There are two of us here; we rotate shifts, days off and freezer time. It's pretty quiet and we supervise the food and blood deliveries and check any other visitors. Yesterday morning, Ron was in the freezer and a man from the gas company came to the door saying there was a possible gas leak on the block and wanted to inspect the heating system. All his identification seemed in order. I took him to the basement but then there was a food delivery. Paula was upstairs turning on the air conditioning since we've had a heat wave and it was hot in here. The man must have slipped upstairs while we weren't looking. The next thing I knew, Paula was screaming and I caught him trying to sneak out the front door."

Mick nodded, not saying anything.

"I know I should have stayed with him while he was here." Jack said miserably. "We didn't do our job and Mr. Kostan has every right ….."

"I'll square you guys with Josef." Mick said, knowing Josef's first instinct would be to exact vengeance on the hapless guards. They should have been more alert, but if the assassin's credentials were in order, why would they suspect him?

"Just keep the guy alive, I'll want to talk to him." Mick needed to find out if this was a hunter or another enemy, and how did he know about Sarah? As far as Mick knew, only a handful of people knew of Sarah's existence.

"I'll be down in a few minutes." He dismissed the unhappy vampire, who returned to the basement.

Mick went back to the lounge, and saw Josef approach the doctor who was resting in a chair. "Dr. Egan," Josef was stone cold. "How do we know Sarah is truly dead?"

The doctor rubbed his hand over his eyes. "I believe it's already happened." He saw the pain in the vampire's expression. "I hesitate to suggest it, the most merciful thing would be an injection of silver nitrate into the heart. Then you can be sure."

Josef turned away, and Mick's felt his friend's grief. "Josef, it's better she doesn't suffer. We don't know if she's even aware at this point."

He hung his head and Mick put his hand on Josef's shoulder. He was surprised Josef didn't shake him off. Josef asked the doctor, "Could you detach the medical equipment?"

The doctor stood and nodded, going slowly to the bedroom. He knew Josef was grieving, but the doctor also felt the felt the loss of his patient.

Josef looked at Mick. "I want to see this man," Josef said, his fangs showing. Mick nodded, and led the way.

They went into the townhouse's basement and could detect the room where the killer was sequestered. Josef picked up a familiar human scent. He pushed open the door and growled, "Robert Whitley."

Mick looked at the scene, surprised. In a chair was a human, dressed in a gas company uniform. The man was in his late thirties, with closely cropped hair and a handsome face.

"Kostan. I figured they'd call you."

"What did you do?" Josef launched himself at Whitley, but Mick held him back.

"Josef, stop." Mick said, urgently. "Who is this guy?"

Shaking himself from Mick's grasp, he said, "This is Sarah's cousin, Robert Whitley." Josef's first instinct was to rip out the human's throat, consequences be damned, but Mick was right on his back, ready to restrain him.

Josef stared at Whitley. "Why did you do it?"

Whitley glared up at Josef, not at all afraid. "You were keeping her alive for no reason. How long? How long would you have let her lay there, her soul in limbo, not alive, not dead, just nothing? Another hundred years, another two hundred? She deserves better than that."

Josef let his eyes crystal and his fangs drop. "I told you before it was not your business. Did you think I'd let you live after what you've done?" Josef asked.

Whitley stared back at the face of the vampire. "Not at all. I have no family, no children. I've made my will and expected to die if I was caught. It was worth it if I could save Sarah from the misery you've kept her in all these years."

Josef snarled, never taking his eyes off Whitley. "You didn't do enough research. A stake doesn't kill vampires, it only paralyzes them. But in this case, Sarah was so fragile, the stake has killed her. And you'll die too."

Josef looked at the guards. "Take the humans out of the house. Let the doctor go home, but you guys and Paula get rooms at the Fitzpatrick. Stay there until you hear from me." The guards left with alacrity, closing the door behind them.

"Now Mr. Whitley, you will find that over 400 years has given me much insight on how to drag death out until you beg for the release it will bring." Josef moved toward the bound human.

Mick was still there and said, "Josef, stop." His friend didn't respond, but continued to advance upon Whitley.

"_Josef, stop!"_ Mick commanded fiercely. Josef had never heard that tone from Mick before and turned around.

"You don't want to do this, Sarah wouldn't want it. Don't be a murderer for her sake. She loved you and she accepted the risks and she wouldn't have wanted you to kill for revenge." Mick said intently, hoping his friend would listen.

The tension between Mick and Josef was tangible and Mick didn't know if he could get through to Josef. He could feel his friend's frenzy for vengeance. "Don't do this. Don't poison Sarah's memory."

Josef was torn between the need for retaliation and Sarah. "He deserves to die for what he did." Josef growled.

"Maybe," Mick responded, "but how will it help Sarah? Let her go with no hate, she deserves that. This is her only family and he thought he was helping her."

Josef's face reflected his inner struggle. All his life he'd struck back at his enemies, not letting them live to come back for a second chance. He knew Sarah wouldn't want him to kill her only relative no matter what he'd done. Josef hung is head for a moment, then growled, "Get him out of here." Josef left the basement quickly.

Whitley looked at Mick with a frown. "What will he do?"

Mick reached in his pocket and pulled out a knife, cutting Whitley's bonds. The human rubbed his wrists.

"He won't do anything," Mick said.

"So I should believe he won't come after me?"

"No. He won't." Mick looked at the man. He was brave, Mick had to give him that. "Look, you think that vampires have all the power. We don't. We can exist a long time, but we're not better than you. We watch our loved ones die and we can never have children. Sarah chose to become one of us and it didn't work out. You have a chance to have a life with a family and kids if you want it. Don't waste time on the unimportant things."

Whitley nodded briefly. He respected this tall, dark-haired vampire. He stood, ready to leave. "Is Sarah dead?"

Mick shook his head. "I don't know. The doctor said it wouldn't be long."

"Oh," Whitley slumped for a moment, the only sign of weakness Mick had seen. "When she passes, could she be buried near her father? I think she would have wanted that. I—I'd like to know she was properly buried."

"I'm sure she will be. You'll be notified. Don't contact Josef," Mick said. He led Whitley out the basement door into the garage. He didn't want Josef to see Sarah's cousin, afraid Josef might have a hard time controlling himself.

Mick went back upstairs to a silent house. Paula and the guards were gone, along with the doctor. Mick went to the kitchen, hoping the hidden refrigerator was in the same spot as the last time he was at the townhouse. He found some bottled blood and poured a glass, drinking deeply. He thought of Beth and wished he was home with her. He knew she was waiting for a call—it was three hours earlier in California. He dialed and her number rang twice before she answered, _"Mick?"_

"Hi, sweetheart." He felt better just hearing her voice. "We're at the townhouse."

"_How's Sarah?" _

He hesitated a moment. "Not good. She was staked and in her condition, it looks like she won't make it."

"_Oh no,"_ Beth said, concerned. _"How's Josef taking it?"_

"Not well, but I managed to keep him from killing her attacker."

"_Why?"_ He hear anger in his mate's voice.

"Because it was Robert Whitley, Sarah's cousin."

"_What? Why?"_

Mick sighed and continued. "Apparently, Whitley was upset that Josef was letting Sarah stay in a coma for all those years and he wanted to end it."

"_What did Josef do?"_ Beth could imagine Josef's fury at someone hurting Sarah.

"I talked him out of killing Whitley, but Josef is in bad shape. Sarah might not last out the day."

"_I'm so sorry, Mick_." He could feel her comfort through the phone.

"I'll do what I can. Did you see Simone?"

"_I talked to her, but she was tired and went to bed. I'm supposed to call if I heard from you. She realizes how important Sarah is to him. She's willing to give him space if he needs it."_

Mick sighed. "That might be best for now. Would you tell her what's going on? I'd better check on Josef."

"_All right. I miss you, my love."_ Beth suddenly didn't want to end the call.

"I miss you, too. I'll be home as soon as I can. I'll call you tomorrow night." After a few more endearments, they both finally hung up and Mick steeled himself to find Josef. It was almost dawn and he didn't think Josef would want to rest.

Mick went to Sarah's room. Only one lamp was burning but Mick could see how much Sarah had deteriorated in just a short time. She looked even more ravaged than before, but Josef still held her hand.

"I failed her, Mick," Josef said, sadly. "I failed her fifty years ago and I failed her now."

"You did what she asked all those years ago, and you've taken care of her ever since. You couldn't help what happened tonight."

Josef nodded mutely, still gazing at Sarah. He finally let go of her hand and sat back, closing his eyes. "Mick, would you call the Cleaners and ask them to come at noon with the silver injection? I want to sit with her until …. after. Then I'll get some rest."

"Sure, buddy." Mick left the room quietly. Josef seemed calmer now, and he didn't know if that was better or worse than his friend's rage. He got out his phone to call the Cleaners.

TBC

_**Sorry if I upset anyone with Sarah's demise. I wanted Josef to have some closure. Next, the fall out and some other issues in LA. **_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Now Josef has to deal with Sarah's passing and Mick has a few words to say. Things are starting to smooth out for our vamps, and thanks for reading!**_

Chapter 19

Simone sat at her desk in her home office at loose ends. She'd finished up her latest case and now had time to worry about Josef and what was going on in New York. Sofia called and wanted to go to dinner, but Simone put her off. She knew she couldn't explain her mood to Sofia, or any of her other friends. None of them knew of Sarah except Beth, and they'd been speaking regularly ever since the guys left town. It was through Beth that she found out Sarah's condition and Robert Whitley's involvement. Simone worried constantly about Josef but knew she needed to wait for him to contact her.

Simone's phone rang with an unfamiliar number. "Hello?"

"_This is Bella."_

Simone was surprised and it took her a moment to remember Bella, the Head Cleaner. "Yes?" She responded.

"_I've been trying to call Josef, but his phone seems to be off. Do you know where he is?"_ Bella sounded annoyed.

"Uh, yes, but he's not taking any calls right now. He's out of town and I'm not sure when he'll be back. Is there anything I can do?"

"_Dammit._" Bella swore. _"Is Ewan Conley handling community issues in his absence?"_

"I believe so." Simone said. She wondered what was going on.

"_Fine, I'll speak to him." _The line went dead. Simone was sure Josef hadn't told anyone he was leaving. She didn't want Ewan to be caught off guard, so she called him.

"_Hello."_ She heard Ewan's rich brogue.

"Ewan, its Simone. I just wanted to tell you that Josef had to go to New York for an emergency and he's unable to handle LA business. Bella just called looking for him and I was hoping you could help her with whatever she needs."

"_Of course,"_ Ewan answered. _"Is there a problem with Josef?"_

"No, it's personal and I don't know when he'll be back."

"_I'll give Bella a call. Let me know if you or Josef need anything." _

"Thanks, Ewan." Simone was relieved. She couldn't help in New York, but she'd do her best at home.

Ewan dialed the Cleaner's number. "I'd like to speak with Bella, its Ewan Conley."

"_Hello Ewan."_ Bella came on the line_. "I hear Josef is out of town again so you're handling the region."_

"Yes. What can I do for you?"

"_Come down to my office right away. We've been going over all the stuff we found at Valbonne's place and we've found some disturbing information."_

Ewan frowned. After the hunters, they didn't need any further problems. "Do you mind if I bring Megan? As the Council liaison, she could be helpful."

"_That's fine."_

"All right, I'll leave right away."

After stopping by to pick up Megan, they arrived at the Cleaners' headquarters and were shown into Bella's office. "I'm glad you're here."

"I understand Josef was called away on an emergency. We're not as familiar with the territory, but we'll do our best." Megan said.

Bella looked at them speculatively. "At first I was pissed that Josef wasn't here, but this might be better. He tends to kill first and ask questions later."

Ewan smirked slightly. "Well, he's young yet." Bella smiled as well. She was half a century older than Josef and she appreciated the observation.

"When we cleared out Valbonne's house we found his computer and some files. It seems our State Senator was in league with Valbonne to take over as Elder when the count killed Josef."

Ewan's eyes narrowed. "You mean the vampire senator?"

"Yes. He's always been reliable and looked after our interests. I don't know whether there was blackmail or bribery but if we can't trust him, he needs to be removed." Bella said.

Megan frowned. "May I see the documents?" Bella handed some copies of emails to Megan and Ewan and they took a moment to skim through them.

"It looks like he's guilty," Ewan said with finality. "Is this a matter for an Elder Tribunal?"

Bella sat back in her chair, "Probably not. A formal trial would mean publicity and I don't think Josef would want it known that one of our trusted vampires had turned on the community."

"It says in one of the emails that MacKay planned to retire after this term and that's why he wanted to take over as Elder." Megan said.

"So, what should we do?" Ewan asked.

Bella was silent for a minute, thinking. "We have two alternatives. We leave him in place until the end of his term. He has about two years left of a four-year senate term. We can warn him not to cause any problems and he can leave public life quietly."

"And the other?" Megan questioned.

"We eliminate him with a staged public accident. Someone would be appointed to finish MacKay's term and in the meantime we could find another vamp to run for senate. That position is too important and we need a vampire in higher state political office."

Ewan regarded the two women. "If that's the case, I say eliminate him. It would be too difficult to monitor everything he does and who he sees."

"I agree," Megan said. "If he betrayed us once, he can do it again."

Bella nodded in approval. "That was my thought. If I have your approval as acting Elder and Council Liaison, I'll make the arrangements. I want to have this taken care of as soon as possible before MacKay discovers the count's death. Also, it would be better to present Josef with a _fait accompli_ when he returns."

"Does Josef know the senator well?" Ewan asked.

"Not that I know of, but he's a high profile vampire and comes to all the tribe's functions. I don't think Josef will shed any tears when he's gone, especially after his betrayal." Bella stood up, and her guests followed.

"I'll coordinate with the Sacramento Cleaners and I'll let you know when we're done. There should be something in the paper as well."

Brother and sister left the building, and Ewan drove Megan back to her condo. "You don't have any problem with the senator's death?" He inquired.

"No, not at all. He was in league with Valbonne who was trying to kill all of us. We protect our own and he went against that." Megan glanced at Ewan. "You remember what I did to the humans that killed our sire."

"Yes." Ewan kept his eyes on the road. He never thought his kind sister would be so violent, but he understood. He would rip apart anyone who harmed Sofia.

xxxxxxxxxx

The townhouse was quiet and Josef finally went to his freezer. Mick was exhausted but needed to call Beth before he could retire to cold oblivion.

"_Hi, sweetie,"_ Beth's voice came across the miles. _"How are you? Is everything okay?"_

Mick smiled to himself at Beth's inquisitiveness. "I'm tired, but I wanted to let you know what's going on."

"_How's Josef?"_

"I finally got him to the freezer. Sarah's gone." Forestalling her questions, he said, "I'll explain everything when I get home. She'll be cremated and we're going to have her put next to her father and mother in a day or so."

"_Oh,"_ Beth responded. The last time she heard Mick sound so gloomy was when he told her about his turning. _"How long do you think you'll be gone?"_

"Another few days at least. I don't want to leave Josef alone."

"_Oh."_ Beth said again. _"What happened to Sarah's cousin?"_

"Josef let him go. I convinced him that Sarah would hate him taking revenge on her family."

"_I'm sure she would have."_ Beth paused a moment_. "I miss you, Mick. Do you want me to fly out?"_

Mick closed his eyes and thought about how much he wanted the comfort of her arms. Being away from her was almost unbearable

"I wish you could, sweetheart, but you should stay there in case Simone needs you."

Beth sighed. She knew Mick was right, but she longed for him and their freezer was too empty_. "I know Josef is dealing with a lot, but I wish he'd call Simone. She's going crazy with worry about him."_

"I'll try. He's not talking much right now."

"_Simone is strong but I think she's a little insecure about Sarah. She needs some reassurance from Josef." _

Mick sighed. "You know he has trouble with emotions. He feels guilty about Sarah, and I bet he feels bad about leaving Simone."

"_I wish we could do more to help." _

Mick sighed. He should get to the freezer. "I do too, sweetheart. I need to go, but I'll call you tomorrow, okay? I love you."

"_I love you, too. Are you drinking enough? Make sure you get enough rest—"_

"Yes, dear," Mick quipped. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone, okay?"

"_I will. Love you."_ Beth said softly.

"Bye, sweetheart." Mick hung up and went to the guest room, pulling off his clothes. The security guards had returned and were being extra diligent, trying to make up for their mistake with Robert Whitley. Josef hadn't said a word to them. Paula remained at the hotel for the present and Mick wasn't sure what Josef wanted to do about her.

Mick was concerned about Josef. Since his blow up at Robert Whitley, his friend had been withdrawn and non-communicative. The Cleaners had come and administered the silver shot to Sarah, and removed her body for cremation. Mick wasn't in the room, giving Josef his privacy to say goodbye. One of the Cleaners said that they would arrange for the burial and would let Josef know the time. Mick planned to tell Whitley about Sarah's internment, but not until he and Josef were on their way back to California.

That evening Josef came out of his room, freshly showered and changed. He found Mick in the kitchen and accepted the glass his friend poured for him. "Sarah will be buried at 7 pm." He drained his glass, then looked at Mick. "Afterward, I want you to take the plane back to LA."

"What about you?" Mick asked.

Josef glanced away with no expression. "I'm going to stay here a while. Then I have some business I need to handle in Paris and Russia."

Mick put down his glass with a decided thump. "You can't run away, Josef. I know you feel guilty, but you did everything you could for Sarah."

Josef jutted out his chin but didn't answer.

"Simone's worried, you should call her." Mick said.

Josef's expression became more deadly. "I don't want to talk to her."

"You're engaged—you asked her to marry you," Mick sputtered.

"I asked Sarah that too, and looked what happened."

Mick came around the counter to confront his friend. "Okay, I get it. You're scared to marry Simone and turn her so you want run away. So go to Paris or Moscow because you're a coward." Mick was angry now. "Maybe it's better she doesn't get stuck with a bastard like you."

Josef barked at Mick, "You don't know how it feels to kill someone you love."

"No, but I've seen people I care about die. You never forget but you learn to move on."

"She wants to be turned, Mick. What if it goes wrong again?" Josef said, anguished.

"In all your years how many times have you heard of a turning that didn't take?"

Josef shrugged. "I don't know, two or three times."

"So in 400 years only a few times. More people die in airplanes or cars than failed turns. The odds are on your side." Mick tread carefully now. "Don't mess this up, buddy. Simone is one in a million and puts up with your sorry ass. If you want to delay her turning, talk to her, she'll understand. But she needs to hear from you."

Josef scrubbed his hand through his hair. He knew Mick was right, he was afraid he'd lose Simone, too. Guilt and fear were alien emotions to Josef. He needed to mourn Sarah, but he realized hiding from Simone would only hurt both of them. He couldn't imagine his life without her and he had to face his anxieties.

Josef nodded to Mick. "I'll call her. We can go home tomorrow night. But Mick," Josef said in a silken voice, "if you ever call me a coward again, I'll kick your butt from here to Central Park."

"If it makes you see sense, I'd let you." Mick was happy his friend seemed to be recovering and was back to their banter.

"You'd _let_ me?"

"Sure," Mick smirked. "Remember, you said you were a lover not a fighter. I'm the one with the combat skills."

"Maybe. I can still kick your ass at eight-ball." Josef felt better than he had for days. "I'm going to make some calls," he said, and Mick left the room, heading for the library. Josef still felt sadness for Sarah, but some of the pain had receded. All at once, he really wanted to talk to Simone. He'd make his business calls later.

xxxxxxxxxx

Megan came into the condo looking for Ben. He was at his computer in his new office. "Hey, honey." He smiled at her and she swooped down to give him a hug. "How was your meeting?" He asked. He knew Megan had gone to an urgent session at the Cleaners.

"It was interesting." She said, sitting down. "It was about that senator MacKay, you know the guy you met at Josef's last party?"

"I remember."

"We found out he was plotting with Valbonne to take over as Elder after Valbonne killed Josef."

"What? Was he in on the killings?"

Megan shook her head. "No, he was just waiting for it to be done, then after most of the other Elders were destroyed, he would be the prime choice to take over the region."

"So is he still free?" Ben's legal mind kicked into gear.

"He won't be for long. That's what we were meeting about. Since Josef's unavailable, Bella wanted Ewan and I to decide about MacKay."

"What will happen?"

Megan frowned. "He'll be executed. We can't trust him, even if we watch him. He's betrayed the tribe and that's the penalty."

"Hmmm. You don't have much due process in the vampire community."

"We can't afford to, Ben. All we have is our secret and if it gets out there would be chaos. Even if MacKay wasn't threatening to expose us, he still plotted against another vampire. We can't trust him."

Ben thought about it. He was still trying to adjust to vampire culture and sometimes his human remnants questioned the methods. Like Beth, he wanted to retain a portion of his humanity even though he was now another race. He glanced at Megan and felt her excitement. There was something she wasn't telling him.

"What else?" He questioned.

"It's about the senator. They're going to stage an accident for the humans and the press. He still has almost two years to go on his current senate term. They'll appoint an interim replacement until the election." Megan looked at him with sparkling eyes. "I was thinking you might run for his seat."

Ben stared at her, stunned. "I—I don't know."

"You could do it, Ben. By that time you'll be used to being around humans and the senate isn't a 9 to 5 job. You'll have the vampire's support for your election. You could still do good things for the state, as well as look after the vampire community."

Ben thought furiously. He had always wanted to break into politics and he could still help the humans, as well as the vampires. It excited him, and he knew he wanted to do this. There was only one problem.

"I can't sit around here for another two years. I'm already going nuts. I can only play so many games of Farmville and if I watch any more Judge Judy or NCIS reruns I'm going to climb the walls."

Megan giggled. "You don't have to. You can take some political classes online to get ready and later when you can be around humans more, you can do some volunteer work to get your name known. You can use your supposed illness as a reason why you don't go back to the ADA's office."

"Yes, that makes sense."

Megan could tell Ben was intrigued by the idea. She had worried that he would be unhappy he couldn't continue his human goals—now he would be able to. "When Josef gets back we can talk to him about it."

Ben looked at Megan and was taken with her enthusiasm and love. "You're quite brilliant, you know that?"

"I think I was smart to find you." She curled up next to him, and all was right with her world.

TBC

_**It looks like Josef is recovering, but will there be fallout with Simone? **_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Sorry for the delay, I had a health issue and couldn't type for a while, but now I'm back. The story is winding down and this is the last chapter. Thanks to all of you for following the story and all your support! **_

Chapter 20

Mick navigated the streets from LAX to the loft, his mind on autopilot. So much had happened in New York in a few short nights. They'd met the Cleaner at the cemetery the previous evening and had Sarah's ashes placed next to her parents in the mausoleum. Mick was glad to see that Josef was composed and calm on their way back from the cemetery.

The next afternoon was busy, with Josef taking care of the aftermath. He recalled Paula from the hotel and arranged for her to have the deed to the townhouse. He didn't want to keep it and Paula was grateful for his generosity. She had a sister and niece that could come and live with her and Josef knew the property would be in good hands. He also called the Council and recommended the two security guards be given positions there. Mick was pleased Josef wasn't going to exact revenge on them.

"You did good, buddy," he commented.

Josef shrugged, slightly embarrassed. "They shouldn't get in too much trouble working for the Council."

Mick knew Josef didn't want to deal with Robert Whitley, so Mick called him privately to let him know Sarah had been buried, and where. They boarded the jet and settled in for the flight. Josef talked to Simone again, and by his friend's body language, Mick figured she wasn't too upset.

Mick swung the Benz into the parking garage and took the elevator up to the loft. He'd barely gotten in the door when Beth streaked forward, jumping on him and knocking the door closed.

"Mick!" she squealed, winding around him like a cobra.

"Hi, sweetheart." He mumbled through her kisses.

"I missed you so much." She disentangled herself, giving him the once-over "Have you fed? Are you tired? Tell me everything."

Mick chuckled, his first genuine laugh in days. "I'm fine, but I think I could use a shower. Then we can talk. It's been a tough couple of days."

"Okay." Beth stood back from him, taking him in with her eyes. Her chest constricted a little and she reacquainted herself with how handsome he was.

Mick dropped his overnight bag and headed for the stairs. "I wouldn't mind some company."

"Sounds good," she purred.

Mick spun eagerly and quickly scooped her up over his shoulder, moving with vampire speed up the stairs to their room.

xxxxxxxxx

Josef's limo turned up the drive to his hill house and he was slightly nervous. Simone told him she understood why he hadn't called her, but now he would see her face-to-face. He waited for the driver to open the door for him, dragging out the moment. He went into the house by the kitchen door, and surprised Tina and Cindy having a late night gossip.

"Josef!" They both exclaimed, coming forward to give him a hug. He smelled their blood, and he had to control his fangs. He'd been on the bottled variety during the trip and it never compared to fresh from the vein. The girls fussed over him for a moment, assuring him they were ready if he needed a snack. He gave them a lop-sided smile and said he'd let them know.

Hale came into the kitchen, surprised his boss had entered that way. "Welcome back, sir," he said formally.

"Glad to be back—I think," he ended under his breath. "Where is Miss Simone?"

"She's in the library, sir. I don't believe she knows you have returned." Josef nodded and left the room, squaring his shoulders. He opened the library door slowly. A small fire was burning in the fireplace and Simone sat curled up in a leather chair, scowling over some papers.

When she saw him she jumped up, scattering the papers over the floor. He opened his arms and held her to him, letting her fragrance wash over him in reassurance. "I missed you so much," she said into his neck.

"Me too, doll." He took her lips and kissed her with all the feeling he had, longing for her comfort.

Simone didn't have the ability of a vampire to sense emotions, but she knew Josef was hurting and she drew him closer to her. She ran her fingers through his hair and felt him relax.

"Sit down. Have you fed?" She looked at him with concern.

Josef nodded. "I'm fine for now. At least I didn't have to drink that slop Mick likes," he smirked.

"Tell me what happened." They sat on the sofa next to the fireplace. The flames flickered on his face, making it seem rosier than usual. "Things were pretty bad," he started.

Simone stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

"It was Sarah's cousin, Robert Whitley—did Beth tell you?"

Simone nodded.

"He must have been watching too many movies, because he staked her. It wouldn't have caused much damage in any other vamp, but in Sarah's case she was so fragile the stake started some kind of reaction and she couldn't recover."

Josef got up and started to pace. Simone recognized his response when he was upset. "I don't know whether it was because she hadn't been fully turned or what, but her body shut down. After that, she couldn't absorb any blood and she started to waste away."

"I'm sorry, Josef," Simone said softly. She'd heard this much from Beth, but she wasn't going to stop him telling her.

Josef ran his hand through his hair. "We had the doctor in, but he couldn't do anything. He said we should inject her with silver to make sure she was totally gone. The Cleaners came and took care of it."

He turned to her, his eyes gleaming crystal, indicative of his emotions. "I should have called you, but I …. I felt so …."

Simone got up and put her arms around him. "I know. We'll get through this together." She pulled back slightly, "That is, if you want me to be here. If you need some space, I can go back to my condo for a while."

"No!" Josef held her tightly. "I don't want you going anywhere." It was difficult for him to talk about his emotions, but he owed her. He moved her back to the sofa. "Sit down. I want to tell you some things."

Simone bit her bottom lip in worry. Josef said he didn't want her to go, but he was still disturbed. She took a calming breath. "Okay, Josef. What is it?"

He felt her insecurity and he knew it was because of him. He was crap at communication but fortunately Simone was able to read him most of the time. He'd come to some conclusions on the plane, and he needed to tell her how he felt.

"Seeing Sarah die like that was hard and it made me think. I know you want to be turned after the wedding, but what happened made me change my mind."

Simone watched him but couldn't speak. Was he going to back out on her again? She steeled herself for rejection.

He continued, "I know we're both tense about your turning, and it's not good for either of us. So ….."

"So?" she said back at him.

"So I don't want to wait. I want to do it soon, in a few days."

"Really?" Simone whispered, her heart soaring. "Are you sure?"

He took her hands in his. "Yes, baby. Let's get you on board with the tribe then we'll have a hell of a wedding after you've acclimated a bit."

Simone couldn't believe that Josef was finally ready to change her, and so soon. She knew it was a big responsibility in terms of being a sire as well as overcoming his fear the turning would go badly. She'd always felt being a sire was more of a commitment than marriage, and now he was willing to take the step with her. Perhaps Sarah's death was closure for him so he was ready to move ahead with her. Then her joy was cut short by reality. "But I have a few cases coming up, as well as some work for the community. I can't just ignore all of it."

Josef waved aside her objections. "We'll find someone to help out."

She nodded and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy. It will work, I know it will. We have to keep positive thoughts, right?"

Her delight was infectious and Josef was satisfied he made the right decision. He hung onto Mick's comment about the small amount of bad turnings. He refused to think anything would go wrong this time. Once it was over, he and Simone would have the wedding and a long life together.

He hugged her close and said, "Positive all the way, baby." He found her lips and kissed her thoroughly. "I think we need to head upstairs to seal the deal with a little donation to your favorite vampire."

"Um-hm," Simone responded. She nipped the side of his neck in agreement. "I do have some new lingerie to show you."

Josef led Simone to their bedroom, realizing this would be one of the last times he would take her blood as a human. It made him pause for a moment but he realized as a vampire their intimate relationship would only improve.

The next day, both Josef and Simone were busy making arrangements for her to be out of circulation for a few months. Simone was running on adrenaline, and Josef made her eat. He wasn't about to take any chances she would be weak for the turning. Josef called Mick and Beth and asked them to come to the house that evening.

Simone was upstairs dressing for the visit when his cell rang. He saw it was Ewan. "Hello," he said

"Josef, I heard you were back. Is everything all right?"

He knew Ewan wasn't aware of Sarah, so he just replied, "Yes, I had some things in New York that came up and I had to get out there fast. Simone said you handled some community business while I was gone."

"Yes," Ewan replied. "I wanted to talk to you about that. Would it be all right if Megan and I came by later?"

Josef was surprised. "That's fine. Mick and Beth will be here, and I'd like to talk to you, too."

"Fine, we'll see you in an hour or so."

Simone came into the room, anticipation making her glow. "Who was that?" she asked.

"Ewan." Josef answered. "He and Megan are coming over. It will be a good time to ask him to watch the store for the next few months while I'm busy being a sire."

Hale opened the library door, allowing Mick and Beth to enter. Josef smiled hello and went to the refrigerator to bring out some fresh blood. "Just in time for a toast."

Simone poured herself a glass of wine while Josef provided his puzzled friends with some A+.

"How are you doing, Josef?" Beth asked.

"Fine." He glanced at Simone. "We have some news. I'm going to turn Simone tomorrow night." Mick and Beth stared in shock as Josef continued, "We want to get it out of the way before the wedding."

Beth broke into a smile. "That's great Josef. What can we do to help?"

"Just back up Ewan if he needs anything. He's going to handle the region while I'm busy with Simone."

"Sure." Mick said, heartily. He was glad Josef was ready to make the commitment with Simone after all that went on in New York.

Hale came into the room, announcing Megan and Ewan had arrived. The brother and sister entered the room and greeted their friends.

Josef jumped up and shook Ewan's hand and kissed Megan on the cheek. They were slightly surprised at Josef's enthusiastic greeting.

"Sit down," Josef said, pouring them champagne. "We're celebrating."

"Oh, what?" Ewan asked.

"Josef is going to turn me tomorrow night," Simone said, bursting with excitement.

Megan was startled, but said, "Congratulations, I'm so glad for you."

Ewan nodded, smiling. He thought a moment about how it would feel to be ready to turn Sofia, but forced his attention back to the group. "Yes, congratulations."

"I know you've been filling in for me quite a bit lately, Ewan, but I was hoping you'd be willing to take on the region while I'm with Simone," Josef said.

"Of course. Megan can help." Ewan glanced at his sister. "Ben is getting more independent, so he doesn't need you all the time, right?"

"Yes," Megan agreed. "he's getting pretty bored lately."

"That's another thing, Megan," Simone interjected. "After the turning, I won't be able to work for a while. I was wondering if Ben might take on some business for the vampire community. It wouldn't entail any court cases, just contracts and merger things he could do at home. Do you think he might be interested?"

"Yes, I'm sure he could help out."

Ewan broke in. "In fact, Ben is slightly involved in what we needed to tell you. While you were gone, we found out that Senator MacKay was working with Valbonne."

Josef sat up with a frown. "What?"

"Yes. Bella found emails on his computer. It seems he was planning on taking over the region after Valbonne killed you."

Josef's fangs dropped and his eyes sparkled silver. He had known MacKay for years and thought he was a loyal friend. "I'll kill him," he growled and stood up.

Ewan was next to him in a moment and pressed Josef back down to the chair. "It's been taken care of."

"What do you mean?" Josef hissed.

"Bella found the emails and asked us what should be done. We decided we couldn't trust MacKay to finish out his term and retire quietly. An accident has been arranged. You should see it in tomorrow's news." Ewan explained

Josef went to get a stronger drink from the bar. He drank down a shot and turned to the Ewan. "Thanks for handling it. We can't tolerate traitors, but his death will limit our influence in the political arena," he said thoughtfully.

Now Megan eagerly shared her plan. "Bella said that they could get an interim senator appointed, then we could run our own candidate at the next election. I was thinking that Ben would be the perfect choice!"

The group didn't respond right away, letting the idea sink in. Simone said, "That's brilliant! Ben is well-known in political circles and he would have the resources of the community behind him when he runs."

"I'm so glad you think so. He's very excited about it." Megan declared.

While they talked about the political possibilities, Simone signaled Beth with her eyes, and they both quietly made their way out of the room. Simone led Beth to her office, going to her desk and taking out an envelope. She handed it to Beth.

"In case anything happens with my turning, give this to Josef."

Beth looked at the letter, then at Simone with alarm. "If anything goes wrong?"

"Yes. I don't want Josef to try to keep me going if it doesn't work. I won't have him mourning over me for years like he did with Sarah."

"But Simone, you don't think anything is going to be bad, do you?" Beth asked.

Simone smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. I'm planning on being around to drive you all crazy for a long time. But," Simone winked, "it's better to have insurance, don't you think? We don't expect to have a car accident, but we all have insurance just in case."

Beth nodded slowly.

"Well, this is my car insurance for the turning." Simone became serious. "Beth, I know this is a lot to ask, but promise me if things don't work you won't let me lay there for years. I have a horror of that. If Josef can't do it, then call the Cleaners."

"Of course," Beth choked out. "But we won't need it. I'm sure everything will be fine."

She gave Beth a wide grin. "Me, too. Just insurance, as I said. I couldn't have told Josef or Mick about this, but I knew you'd understand."

Beth nodded and slipped the envelope into her pants pocket. "Count on me." Trying to change the subject, Beth said, "When you're ready, Mick is going to set up some self-defense training. Ben wants to have some lessons and I think Megan will be there, too."

"Great." Simone responded. "If I'm going to be around you guys for centuries, I'd better brush up on some self-defense. Josef says you guys are trouble magnets."

They laughed, and returned to the library, where Josef was pouring out some champagne. "Ah, the lovely ladies deign to join us." He handed them flutes of the bubbling beverage. "To Simone."

Everyone toasted and gave the couple their best wishes. The visitors soon left, and Simone and Josef retired for her last night as a human.

Hale had taken care that the household was ready the next evening. There was donated blood for Simone after her turn, and Josef's wing of the house was guarded. Simone was calm as she came to Josef in their bedroom. She was wearing just her robe, so clothing wouldn't impede the process.

She looked at him. "Are you ready?"

Josef had thought of making love to her while completing the turning, but decided he wanted to make sure he was in control. He nodded, and she came to him, kissing him, pulling him down with her on the bed. "Do it, Josef. It's time."

He allowed his vampire to surface, his fangs gleaming in the semi-darkness. He felt her love and trust wash over him as she bared her neck to him.

"I love you, Simone," he said and bit down. He refused to think anything would go wrong. Her blood flowed through him and she struggled a bit as she felt her life waning. He continued to drink until her pulse became imperceptible. He raised his arm, tearing at the wrist to let his blood drain into her mouth. She swallowed reflexively and was still. Josef felt his wound heal and waited anxiously for Simone to wake. This was the hell he had gone through with Sarah. Would Simone come through the transition?

Everything had been black and Simone came awake slowly, not opening her eyes. The sensations were almost overwhelming. She could feel each thread of the silken sheets beneath her and hear the distant ticking of the grandfather clock down the hall. She knew she was in their bedroom and Josef's scent engulfed her senses. It made her feel safe and secure. She moved her head and took a peek from under her eyelids. She looked at Josef, who was inches from her face. She smiled, showing her fangs and silvered eyes.

Josef saw her response and gratitude overcame him. She was fine, Simone had made the transition. For the first time in hundreds of years he was grateful to any higher deities that might have heard his prayers.

"Hello, gorgeous, welcome to my world," he said as he kissed her.

Downtown in their loft, Mick and Beth waited tensely for the call from Josef. He didn't call, but texted, "All well. Talk to you soon." Mick showed Beth the message with a grin. "Looks like they're okay."

Beth had been on edge that evening, and let out a sigh of relief. After giving Mick a hug, she went to her purse and dug out an envelope. Mick gave her a questioning look as she placed the envelope on top of the crystal fire. It burned and Mick asked. "What was that?"

She smiled contentedly. "Just some insurance that no one needs now."

THE END

_**Thanks again to all of you who read and/or reviewed. The adventures will continue in my next story, Hollywood Nights. LA is a glamorous place and you never know who or what trouble might turn up. Hope to see you there!**_


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